NEWS IN ENGLISH 29-11-2014
Following the fruitless talks between the Greek government and lenders in Paris, the Greek government is preparing proposals including some very unpopular measures which, according to reports, have to be sent to the troika by tomorrow afternoon. In order to ensure the return of the troika to Greece with a prospect of reaching an agreement before the 31st of December, it is sacrificing the interests of the people.
The issues it is dealing with are the fiscal gap of 2.5 billion euros, a VAT increase, pension cuts, new redundancies in the public sector, a modification of the overdue debt arrangements in 100 installments and labor law reforms.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos is in Ankara where he is scheduled to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. Subsequently Mr. Venizelos will be received by President Tagip Erdogan in Istanbul.
On Sunday he will attend mass in the Church of Saint George in Fanari for the Thronal Feast of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, at which Pope Francis will also be present.
In a press release issued by the lawyer of Nickos Romanos Franciscos Ragousis it is stated that:
“Nickos Romanos, prisoner on a hunger strike since the 10th of November, is fighting in General Hospital “G.Gennimatas” the most painful struggle against the indifference of the State Authority to which he was opposed so much.
With his heartbeats reaching 170, a heart attack is unfortunately to be expected as many whisper, when they should be shouting it aloud.
This text is not meant for publicity, it will beg for no words of regret and compassion. Such a thing would be unsuited for the character of Nickos Romanos.
This is a protest and an invitation. Romanos will lose the battle for his life not because he is self destructive, but because certain people made him claim in this way two of the most precious things a man can have: Freedom and Justice.
The long and dangerous hunger-strike did not end with his justification but with the cruel order for compulsory feeding, violating any sense of legitimacy, practicing what may be considered torture of a prisoner, since from the first moment Nickos Romanos stated clearly and bravely that he does not wish to receive food in any form and that he is determined to continue his hunger strike even if his life is in danger.
It is to their honor that the doctors perform their duties with delicacy and professionalism, under the supervision and with great concern by the director of the hospital in order to save his life and support him through this ordeal.”
A demonstration in solidarity to Nickos Romanos took place outside the general hospital “Giorgos Gennimatas” where he is being treated under guard, after the dramatic deterioration of his health, as a result of the hunger strike he has been on for 20 days. SYRIZA MPs Mania Papadimitriou, Vassiliki Katrivanou and Aphrodite Stambouli visited Romanos in order to be informed on the condition of his health which is critical but stable.
In the meantime Giannis Michailides, the other prison inmate who is on a hunger strike in solidarity to Nickos Romanos, was moved to Jannio General Hospital while other prisoners have announced their intention to follow his example starting from Monday.
14 people indicted to stand trial over the Vatopedi Monastery real estate scandal were upheld on Friday by the Greek Supreme Court. The court rejected a Supreme Court Deputy Prosecutor’s reversal of the indictments, which had been issued by a criminal appeals court.
The 14 persons include Vatopedi Monastery Abbot Ephraim, monk Arsenios, notary Aikaterini Peleki, lawyers Dionysis and Dimitrios Pelekis, former head of the Hellenic Public Real Estate Company (KED) Petros Papageorgiou, KED board member Constantinos Gratsios, former director of KED’s real estate management service Georgios Mitropoulos, former agriculture ministry general secretary Constantinos Skiadas and former head of the rural development ministry Stamatoula Madeli.
Unemployment rates in Greece during August of 2014 reached 22.9%, slightly lower than the previous month (26.1%), according to data by Eurostat published today. Unemployment rates in Greece during August of 2014 reached 22.9%, slightly lower than the previous month (26.1%), according to data by Eurostat published today. Despite this decrease, our country remains first among those with high unemployment rate followed by Spain with 24% and Cyprus with 15.5 %.
A demonstration in solidarity to Syrian refugees is programmed for tomorrow at 4 in the afternoon in Syntagma square.
Serious questions are raised by the leaflets handed out to them, in which they are encouraged to apply for asylum in Greece by the Home Office, when even pro-governmental mayor of Athens Giorgos Kaminis has stated that it is time that the special intra-European Union legislation for the receiving quota of war refugees in the member states was activated.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meskof called upon the E.U. to lift sanctions inflicted on Moscow because of the Ukrainian conflict, with the promise that Russian counter measures will be lifted consequently, reported Interfax News Agency today.
WEATHER
Weather is expected to be mostly cloudy, with local showers in the northern and northwest parts of the country.
Temperatures will range from 12 to 17 degrees Celsius in Athens and from 9 to 13 degrees in Thessalonica.
The issues it is dealing with are the fiscal gap of 2.5 billion euros, a VAT increase, pension cuts, new redundancies in the public sector, a modification of the overdue debt arrangements in 100 installments and labor law reforms.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos is in Ankara where he is scheduled to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. Subsequently Mr. Venizelos will be received by President Tagip Erdogan in Istanbul.
On Sunday he will attend mass in the Church of Saint George in Fanari for the Thronal Feast of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, at which Pope Francis will also be present.
In a press release issued by the lawyer of Nickos Romanos Franciscos Ragousis it is stated that:
“Nickos Romanos, prisoner on a hunger strike since the 10th of November, is fighting in General Hospital “G.Gennimatas” the most painful struggle against the indifference of the State Authority to which he was opposed so much.
With his heartbeats reaching 170, a heart attack is unfortunately to be expected as many whisper, when they should be shouting it aloud.
This text is not meant for publicity, it will beg for no words of regret and compassion. Such a thing would be unsuited for the character of Nickos Romanos.
This is a protest and an invitation. Romanos will lose the battle for his life not because he is self destructive, but because certain people made him claim in this way two of the most precious things a man can have: Freedom and Justice.
The long and dangerous hunger-strike did not end with his justification but with the cruel order for compulsory feeding, violating any sense of legitimacy, practicing what may be considered torture of a prisoner, since from the first moment Nickos Romanos stated clearly and bravely that he does not wish to receive food in any form and that he is determined to continue his hunger strike even if his life is in danger.
It is to their honor that the doctors perform their duties with delicacy and professionalism, under the supervision and with great concern by the director of the hospital in order to save his life and support him through this ordeal.”
A demonstration in solidarity to Nickos Romanos took place outside the general hospital “Giorgos Gennimatas” where he is being treated under guard, after the dramatic deterioration of his health, as a result of the hunger strike he has been on for 20 days. SYRIZA MPs Mania Papadimitriou, Vassiliki Katrivanou and Aphrodite Stambouli visited Romanos in order to be informed on the condition of his health which is critical but stable.
In the meantime Giannis Michailides, the other prison inmate who is on a hunger strike in solidarity to Nickos Romanos, was moved to Jannio General Hospital while other prisoners have announced their intention to follow his example starting from Monday.
14 people indicted to stand trial over the Vatopedi Monastery real estate scandal were upheld on Friday by the Greek Supreme Court. The court rejected a Supreme Court Deputy Prosecutor’s reversal of the indictments, which had been issued by a criminal appeals court.
The 14 persons include Vatopedi Monastery Abbot Ephraim, monk Arsenios, notary Aikaterini Peleki, lawyers Dionysis and Dimitrios Pelekis, former head of the Hellenic Public Real Estate Company (KED) Petros Papageorgiou, KED board member Constantinos Gratsios, former director of KED’s real estate management service Georgios Mitropoulos, former agriculture ministry general secretary Constantinos Skiadas and former head of the rural development ministry Stamatoula Madeli.
Unemployment rates in Greece during August of 2014 reached 22.9%, slightly lower than the previous month (26.1%), according to data by Eurostat published today. Unemployment rates in Greece during August of 2014 reached 22.9%, slightly lower than the previous month (26.1%), according to data by Eurostat published today. Despite this decrease, our country remains first among those with high unemployment rate followed by Spain with 24% and Cyprus with 15.5 %.
A demonstration in solidarity to Syrian refugees is programmed for tomorrow at 4 in the afternoon in Syntagma square.
Serious questions are raised by the leaflets handed out to them, in which they are encouraged to apply for asylum in Greece by the Home Office, when even pro-governmental mayor of Athens Giorgos Kaminis has stated that it is time that the special intra-European Union legislation for the receiving quota of war refugees in the member states was activated.
Precedence of SYRIZA in two new polls. The Weekly Barometer of Metron Analysis gives Syriza a lead of 3.5 units in voting intention and the poll by Palmos Analysis records a Syriza lead of 10 units and 27.4% versus 17.4% in assessed electoral influence.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meskof called upon the E.U. to lift sanctions inflicted on Moscow because of the Ukrainian conflict, with the promise that Russian counter measures will be lifted consequently, reported Interfax News Agency today.
WEATHER
Weather is expected to be mostly cloudy, with local showers in the northern and northwest parts of the country.
Temperatures will range from 12 to 17 degrees Celsius in Athens and from 9 to 13 degrees in Thessalonica.