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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 09-04-16

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

Thursday, 16 April 2009 Issue No: 3172

CONTENTS

  • [01] Major public works in progress
  • [02] PM on official visit to Cyprus next week
  • [03] Gov't: PASOK price hike figures fake
  • [04] Koumoutsakos on Skopje travel advice: Milososki 'confused'
  • [05] SYRIZA tables question on Enviroment Ministry's works
  • [06] Parliamentary probe examines Pavlidis as last witness
  • [07] Justice minister chairs meeting with prison directors
  • [08] Patriarch Cyrill sends letter to parliament president Sioufas
  • [09] Bank of Greece urges for measures to boost growth
  • [10] Gov't on economy, report of BoG governor
  • [11] Central bank's report confirms own forecasts, PASOK says
  • [12] FinMin on statements by PASOK representative
  • [13] Greek banking system maintains its solid health, BoG
  • [14] EU member-states to receive budget returns
  • [15] US ambassador discusses investment prospects in northern Greece
  • [16] EIB signs 10-mln-euro contract for Fire Department project
  • [17] Credit conditions worsened in March
  • [18] J&P-Avax to build soccer stadium in Wroclaw
  • [19] Industrial new orders' index down 35.5 pct in Feb
  • [20] Greek stocks end 1.44% higher
  • [21] ADEX closing report
  • [22] Greek bond market closing report
  • [23] Foreign Exchange rates - Thursday
  • [24] Event on waters, industrial refuse management in Greece
  • [25] Philhellenism and International Solidarity Day events
  • [26] City of Athens to host 30 L'Aquila students this week
  • [27] Police search house claimed to be Paleokostas' hiding place
  • [28] Man arrested for pensioner's murder
  • [29] Murder attempt in Halandri
  • [30] Serres man arrested on drugs charge
  • [31] Hooded vandals attack private college in Thessaloniki
  • [32] Fair on Thursday
  • [33] The Wednesday edition of Athens ' dailies at a glance
  • [34] House President: Clinton-Talat meeting encourages Turkish intransigence
  • [35] U.S. secretary of state to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Politics

  • [01] Major public works in progress

    The Inner Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, convened on Wednesday and discussed progress in the major works under construction falling under the authority of the Enviroment, Town Planning and Public Works Ministry.

    After the meeting Enviroment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister George Souflias said that the biggest programme of works under his ministry ever implemented in country was currently in progress, with a budget of over 19 billion euros, of which million euros were from private investors through concession contracts.

    Souflias said that the number of highways in the country will triple and the kilometers covered by the Metro will double, the national road system was being reformed, while dams, ports, airports and a variety of other projects were being constructed.

    [02] PM on official visit to Cyprus next week

    NICOSIA (ANA-MPA - A. Viketos)

    Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will carry out an official visit to Cyprus on April 22-23, during which he is scheduled to address the Cyprus Parliament. His speech is expected to outline his positions on the Cyprus issue, Greek-Turkish relations and Turkey's European progress.

    The Greek premier will give his address during a special session of the Cyprus Parliament on the morning of Thursday, April 23.

    On the first day of his visit, Karamanlis is to have a private meeting with Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and the two leaders will then hold a meeting with the foreign ministers and diplomats of their two countries.

    Later that afternoon, the Greek premier will have separate meetings with the leaders of the political parties in Cyprus' Parliament, while in the evening he will attend a dinner given by the Cyprus President and his wife Elsi Christofias in honour of Karamanlis and his wife Natasa.

    The premier and his wife will depart from Cyprus late on April 23.

    [03] Gov't: PASOK price hike figures fake

    Government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros on Wednesday accused the main opposition PASOK party spokesman on development sector issues of announcing false statistics in claiming price hikes on the Greek market, saying that this had been confirmed by Deputy Development Minister George Vlachos, who spoke of unacceptable falsification of figures.

    Antonaros stated that the PASOK spokesman cited OECD figures without double checking them, reaching false conclusions, when it is widely accepted both by SMEs and consumer organizations that market prices remained stable.

    "If they lied because they didn't know, they are unreliable. But if lying was a political choice, as they had done repeatedly in the past, they can only be described as unscrupulous and therefore, dangerous for the country," he added.

    "They have to apologize to the Greek people for the misinformation," the government spokesman stressed.

    [04] Koumoutsakos on Skopje travel advice: Milososki 'confused'

    Commenting on travel advice about Greece issued by the foreign ministry of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM), in which it urged its citizens to avoid extended stays in the country and visits to large Greek cities, Greek foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos on Wednesday said that FYROM's Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki "was obviously confused".

    "On April 10, Mr. Milososki released a letter toward the Foreign Minister [Dora Bakoyannis], in which he requested that we strengthen communication between the two peoples and bilateral tourist cooperation. Five days later, for reasons known only to himself, he deliberately misinforms the citizens of his country and urges them not to visit Greece. Mr. Milososki is obviously confused," Koumoutsakos stated in response to questions.

    The only serious conclusion that could be drawn from this action was that those governing the neighbouring country had not yet tired of showing their worst selves and had once again damaged relations with Greece, the spokesman added.

    In a recent announcement the FYROM foreign ministry had warned its citizens to avoid visits to Greece unless this was unavoidable, citing domestic upheavals caused by demonstrations, violent protests and incidents involving the use of weapons, incendiary devices, attacks on police etc. It also advised those having to travel to Greece to avoid urban centres and areas where demonstrations might take place and to park their cars in safe places.

    It particularly warned people against visiting the largest Greek cities, such as Athens and Thessaloniki, where they said such incidents most often occurred.

    [05] SYRIZA tables question on Enviroment Ministry's works

    Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) leader Alekos Alavanos tabled a question in parliament on Wednesday addressed to Enviroment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister George Souflias asking how disastrous for the enviroment are the planned works on Mt Parnitha and Mt. Hymmetus.

    The SYRIZA deputies call for a stop to the Ministry's "destructive" plans to create new highways on Hymmettus and to find new different solutions to face the real needs and problems, such as an extensive network of bus lanes, bicycle lanes and pedestrian walks instead.

    [06] Parliamentary probe examines Pavlidis as last witness

    The examination of witnesses by the Special Parliamentary Committee investigating the charges against former Aegean minister Aristotelis Pavlidis concluded on Wednesday with the testimony of Pavlidis himself.

    Emerging from the hearing, the MP for the Dodecanese denied that he had refused to provide documents related to his donation of 80,000 euros to his daughter as a "parental provision" in order to complete work on a house.

    "On all issues that are directly related to the case, my answers were full, complete and the documents I submitted confirm this. The claims made by Manoussis are false and slanderous," Pavlidis said.

    Asked why he had not supplied documents related to his gift to his daughter, Pavlidis replied that the sums were in any case included and checked in his annual means and assets statement and his annual tax statements.

    Pressed to explain why he had needed to give the sum to his daughter when she had already received a loan from her uncle, the MP stressed that all the issues were covered in his testimony and that the loan from his brother would in any case have had to be repaid.

    Pavlidis later sent a letter to the chairman of the Parliamentary committee Anastasios Nerantzis, stating that any evidence or documents concerning the movements of accounts relating to the sums given to his daughter and the loan from his brother were at the committee's disposal.

    The special committee will convene next week in order to draft its report, which it will deliver to Parliament President Dimitris Sioufas, along with any supporting evidence, on April 27. The final report will then be tabled for discussion in Parliament.

    Questioned about Pavlidis' appearance before the committee on Wednesday and whether there were pressures for his resignation, government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros stressed that there was a "serious Parliamentary process in motion and the government wants the case investigated fully and in depth".

    "We will await the completion of this process. I have nothing more to say," he added.

    Main opposition PASOK spokesman George Papaconstantinou stressed that the party's MPs would contribute to drafting the report with a "great sense of responsibility" and called on all members of Parliament to "act according to their conscience".

    In response to other questions about the Pavlidis case, he said that it had brought to light a lot of evidence about the operation of an entire ring involved in assigning the subsidised ferry lines.

    The Parliamentary investigation of the former minister was launched after ship owner Fotis Manoussis claimed that the former minister demanded kickbacks via an aide in his office in order to award the ship owner a subsidised route to remote islands. Pavlidis has denied the charge, insisting on his innocence, and has refused to resign from his seat in Parliament.

    [07] Justice minister chairs meeting with prison directors

    Justice Minister Nikolaos Dendias on Wednesday chaired a meeting with the directors of all Greek prisons at the justice ministry, also attended by senior ministry officials in charge of prisons policy and the country's correctional system.

    Dendias asked that prison directors make every possible effort to improve living conditions for inmates, especially in view of the Easter holidays and announced that he intends to visit all correctional facilities in the country to see the conditions prevailing at each for himself.

    The minister also begged the prison diretors to assist in making prisoners feel "that they are truly part of the social whole and that the State is not indifferent to them."

    Dendias then emphasised the need to focus on prison security, urging directors not to allow the slightest relaxation as a result of the holidays.

    "Our attention and alertness must be at 100 percent. You are the pillars of our correctional system," the minister underlined.

    [08] Patriarch Cyrill sends letter to parliament president Sioufas

    The new Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kyrill has sent a letter to Parliament president Dimitris Sioufas thanking him for his letter of congratulations on his enthronment.

    Kyrill also stressed in his letter that he is looking forward to a closer cooperation between the Moscow Patriarchate and the people, government and Church of Greece.

    Financial News

    [09] Bank of Greece urges for measures to boost growth

    The Greek economy is expected to show zero growth rates this year and could fall into negative territory during the year, the Bank of Greece said in its annual report. Presenting the report, George Provopoulos, the central bank's governor, said the bank expected that an economic slowdown would be accompanied by job losses up to 38,000 during the year, predicting that total employment could fall by as much as 0.8 pct, while inflation is expected to slow to an average 1.5 pct in 2009 from 4.2 pct in 2008.

    The central banker recommended a package of measures to support growth and ameliorate the negative impact from an international crisis. Provopoulos underlined the need to adopting a strategy based on:

    -a rapid and brave cut of the fiscal deficit with the aim of achieving a balanced budget by 2012, through combatting tax-evasion, cutting over spending and improving public spending.

    -introducing reforms in the wider public sector to effectively contain public debt through the introduction of numerical limits for spending, boosting transparency and quality of fiscal statistics, cutting tax evasion and social insurance contribution evasion, along with a further reform of the pension system.

    -introducing wide structural reforms to boosting the production base through investments, raising employment levels and constantly upgrading human resources and competitiveness.

    Provopoulos said reforms should contribut in the improvement of productivity and competitiveness of the economy, help in modernizing production models and energy consumption, given the country's high dependency level on oil.

    [10] Gov't on economy, report of BoG governor

    Government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros on Wednesday told reporters that he does not comment on the reports prepared by the Governor of the Bank of Greece. At the same time, he pointed out that all forecasts by international organisations showed that Greece will have a marginally positive growth rate, at a time when the same figures across Europe are negative.

    "Based on all international analysts, it will be way above the European average," he stressed.

    As regards liquidity in the economy, he underlined that "the problem is global and unfortunately cash availability is slower than anticipated."

    [11] Central bank's report confirms own forecasts, PASOK says

    Main opposition PASOK on Wednesday said that the report on the Greek economy released earlier the same day by the central bank confirmed the party's own forecasts at the start of the year.

    "The recession, the explosion of unemployment and the fiscal deviation cannot be dealt with through fragmentary measures, which place the burden on the workers and pensioners that support the market," PASOK spokeswoman for economy issues Louka Katseli stated.

    The country needed a reliable government that was willing to support the real economy, to direct the necessary liquidity toward the market, to promote investments and support the purchasing power of middle and low income strata, while eradicating mismanagement and tax evasion, she added.

    In the report presented by central bank governor George Provopoulos, the Bank of Greece forecast that the Greek economy is expected to show zero growth rates this year and could even slip into negative growth during the year.

    Provopoulos said the bank expected that an economic slowdown would be accompanied by job losses of up to 38,000 during the year, predicting that total employment could fall by as much as 0.8 pct, while inflation is expected to slow to an average 1.5 pct in 2009 from 4.2 pct in 2008.

    [12] FinMin on statements by PASOK representative

    Finance and Economy Minister Yiannis Papathanasiou, commenting on Wednesday on statements by main opposition PASOK party representative Louka Katseli on the report by the governor of the Bank of Greece, said that the report by the governor "confirms that PASOK, if it desires to be serious and reliable, must propose measures that curb and that do not increase the public debt and the public deficit."

    "The government, regarding whatever concerns it, has told and will continue to tell the whole truth to citizens. It has committed itself and will do all that is necessary to contain the public deficit below 3 percent of GDP by 2010. At the same time, however, the government has committed itself in supporting the incomes of low and medium-level incomes. And it is doing this, exhausting every available margin. The incomes policy that it has announced in the public sector, as well as the pensions of the public and private sector, secures this goal in the best possible way. On the contrary, Mrs. Katseli is attempting, once again, to conceal behind populism, void theories and wellwishing PASOK's complete inability to utter even one responsible and realistic proposal on the economy," the minister said.

    [13] Greek banking system maintains its solid health, BoG

    The introduction of more strict lending criteria and the central bank's continuous inspections have contributed to sustaining the solid health of the Greek banking system, inspiring full confidence in the system, George Provopoulos, the Bank of Greece's governor told the bank's annual general shareholders' meeting on Wednesday.

    Provopoulos stressed, however, that a problematic operation of markets has negatively affected factors determining the stability and strength of the Greek banking system, with banks' return and capital adequacy rates falling at the end of 2008, compared with the previous year, although they remained at higher levels compared with the EU average rates. Greek banks also recorded a slightly worsening in liquidity and portfolio quality rates, although they still remained at satisfactory levels above minimun requirements.

    Addressing the bank's general shareholders' meeting, the central banker stressed that banks' after-tax profits fell by 42.8 pct last year, reflecting the more than doubling of bad debt provisions, higher capital raising costs and lower earnings from financial transactions and investment portfolio operations.

    Greek banks' capital adequacy rate eased to 9.5 pct in 2008, from 11.2 pct in 2007, but it was expected to recover following the issuance of prefered shares by banks, as part of a government-sponsored plan to boost liquidity in the market.

    Provopoulos said the bad debt rate rose to 5.0 pct last year, from 4.5 pct a year earlier, reflecting higher delays in repayment of loans by Greek households and in Southeastern Europe.

    The Greek central bank said that the central bank has recommended to Greek banks operating in Southeastern Europe to carefully evaluate economic conditions prevailing in each country in the region and stressed that a massive help from international organisations (IMF, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, etc) would help in the recovery of these countries in the medium-term.

    [14] EU member-states to receive budget returns

    BRUSSELS (ANA-MPA/V. Demiris)

    The amount of 35.2 million euros will be returned to Greece as part of the European Union budget for 2008 that produced a surplus amounting to 1.79 billion euros and which will be distributed among the EU's 27 member-states, according to an announcement issued by the European Commission here on Wednesday.

    In accordance with EU rules, the EU budget must be balanced. Following the finalisation of revenues and expenditures, whatever surplus is produced is returned to member-states according to their gross domestic income.

    Among the 27 member-states, the biggest amount will be returned to Germany with 356.7 million euros, followed by France with 280.1 million euros and Britain 270.7 million euros. The smallest amounts will be returned to Malta with 0.8 millon euros, Cyprus 2.4 million euros and Estonia 2.5 million euros.

    [15] US ambassador discusses investment prospects in northern Greece

    Macedonia-Thrace Minister Stavros Kalafatis met in Thessaloniki on Wednesday with visiting US Ambassador to Athens Daniel Speckhard. Their discussions focused on international investment prospects in the city and northern Greece in general, as well as on issues concerning the sectors of tourism, energy, and new technologies. They also referred to cooperation aimed at tackling international challenges like illegal migration, organized crime and human trafficking.

    "The existence of an understanding and the willingness to jointly face the problems and meet emerging challenges is obvious," Kalafatis stressed.

    The US ambassador underlined that the new US administration is pleased with the improvement of bilateral relations and the promotion of investments in northern Greece.

    The greater region and Thessaloniki are privileged to be a gateway to the Balkans and the Middle East, while Greece has the additional advantage of new technologies and innovation, the US Ambassador stressed.

    He also agreed that the measures taken by the government to protect the people's lives and property are important.

    Responding to questions by reporters on Greece's participation in the US government's visa waiver programme, he stressed that "we intend to complete the relevant negotiations in the summer."

    [16] EIB signs 10-mln-euro contract for Fire Department project

    A 10-million-euro loan by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance a project by Greece's Fire Department, launches a new era in the progress of infrastructure projects in the framework of a government-sponsored program for joint projects between private and public sector companies in Greece.

    Speaking Wednesday to reporters, after the signing of the contract, Greek Economy and Finance Minister Yiannis Papathanasiou stressed that the project for the building and the maintenance of seven new infrastructure works for the Fire Department was the first of its kind and expressed his satisfaction over the fact that a reform over private/public sector joint ventures was entering its final stage of implementation, supporting growth and the real economy.

    The project is the first of 52 similar projects, budgeted at 5.7 billion euros, covering projects around the country. The Greek minister said that a total of 15 tenders have been launched so far, budgeted at 1.5 billion euros, with one project to be launched each month during the year.

    Ploutarhos Sakellaris, vice-president in EIB, told reporters that the bank financed the new Athens airport in 1996, the first project to be financed through the cooperation between public and private sector companies in Greece.

    [17] Credit conditions worsened in March

    Credit conditions worsened in the Greek market in March, with the value of bounced checks rising 18.6 pct from February, totaling 263.7 million euros, official figures showed on Wednesday. The number of bounced checks rose 19.6 pct in March to 26,769. Bounced checks soared by 242.2 pct in value and 346.5 pct in volume in March, compared with the corresponding month last year, while in the first quarter of the year, bounced checks totaled 712.6 million euros in value.

    Unpaid bills rose 35.7 pct in volume and 16.6 pct in value in March, compared with February, while they were up 71.5 pct and 101.1 pct compared with the same month last year, respectively.

    [18] J&P-Avax to build soccer stadium in Wroclaw

    J&P-Avax SA, a Greek-listed construction and engineering group, on Wednesday announced the signing of a contract for the construction of a football stadium in Wroclaw, Poland, budgetted at 142.9 million euros. J&P-Avax is part of a consortium to build the stadium, with a 48.52 pct equity share.

    Wroclaw's stadium will have a capacity of 43,000 spectators and it is one of the stadiums to host the European Football Cup "Euro 2012".

    [19] Industrial new orders' index down 35.5 pct in Feb

    The new orders' index in the industrial sector (measuring both the domestic and foreign markets) dropped by 35.5 pct in February, compared with the same month last year, the National Statistical Service said on Wednesday. The statistics service attributed this development to a 42.3 pct fall in intermediate goods' orders, a 33 pct drop in capital goods and a 44.9 pct decline in durable goods.

    The turnover index in the industrial sector also fell by 25.6 pct in February, after an increase of 19.4 pct rise in February 2008, the statistics service said. It attributed the decline to a 25.6 pct fall in manufacturing activity and a 30.9 pct decline in mining activity.

    [20] Greek stocks end 1.44% higher

    Greek stocks continued moving higher at the Athens Stock Exchange, ignoring volatility in international markets on Wednesday. The composite index rose 1.44 pct to end at 1,928.29 points, with turnover at 246.9 million euros, of which 87.5 million euros were block trades.

    Most sectors moved upwards, with the Media (8.70 pct), Technology (8.59 pct), Raw Materials (6.76 pct) and Telecommunications (5.08 pct) scoring the biggest percentage gains of the day, while Oil (0.72 pct0 and Food/Beverage (0.40 pct) suffered losses.

    The FTSE 20 index rose 1.04 pct, the FTSE 40 index ended 3.91 pct higher and the FTSE 80 index rose 3.04 pct. Broadly, advancers led decliners by 153 to 61 with another 42 issues unchanged.

    Sector indices ended as follows:

    Insurance: +4.14%

    Industrials: +3.20%

    Commercial: +4.00%

    Construction: +1.01%

    Media: +8.70%

    Oil & Gas: -0.72%

    Personal & Household: +2.15%

    Raw Materials: +6.76%

    Travel & Leisure: +0.27%

    Technology: +8.59%

    Telecoms: +5.08%

    Banks: +0.74%

    Food & Beverages: -0.40%

    Health: +4.55%

    Utilities: +1.28%

    Chemicals: +2.36%

    Financial Services: +1.20%

    The stocks with the highest turnover were National Bank, OPAP, Alpha Bank and Public Power Corp (PPC).

    Selected shares from the FTSE/ASE-20 index closed in euros as follows:

    Alpha Bank: 6.80

    ATEbank: 1.28

    Public Power Corp (PPC): 15.90

    HBC Coca Cola: 12.09

    Hellenic Petroleum: 6.70

    National Bank of Greece: 13.90

    EFG Eurobank Ergasias: 5.80

    Intralot: 4.42

    OPAP: 21.00

    OTE: 12.40

    Bank of Piraeus: 6.35

    Titan Cement Company: 17.38

    [21] ADEX closing report

    Greek futures contract prices maintained their discounts in the Athens Derivatives Exchange on Wednesday, with turnover easing to 46.158 million euros. The June contract on the FTSE 20 index was trading at -1.70 pct, in volume of 7,616 contracts worth 36.098 million euros with 27,099 open positions in the market.

    Volume in futures contracts on equities totaled 13,687 contracts worth 10.060 million euros, with investment interest focusing on National Bank's contracts (3,868), followed by OTE (957), Piraeus Bank (1,041), GEK (776), Alpha Bank (1,414), Marfin Popular Bank (625), Mytilineos (868) and ATEbank (832).

    [22] Greek bond market closing report

    Turnover in the Greek electronic secondary bond market shrank further to 487 million euros on Wednesday, of which 330 million euros were buy orders and the remaining 157 million euros were sell orders. The 10-year benchmark bond (July 19, 2019) was the most heavily traded security with a turnover of 152 million euros. The yield spread between the 10-year Greek and German state bonds was 3.15 basis points, with the Greek bond yielding 5.48 pct and the German Bund 3.15 pct.

    In interbank markets, interest rates were largely unchanged. The 12-month Euribor rate was 1.77 pct, the six-month rate 1.60 pct, the three-month rate 1.42 pct and the one-month rate 1.0 pct.

    [23] Foreign Exchange rates - Thursday

    Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank:

    U.S. dollar 1.327

    Pound sterling 0.889

    Danish kroner 7.509

    Swedish kroner 10.951

    Japanese yen 131.75

    Swiss franc 1.522

    Norwegian kroner 8.911

    Canadian dollar 1.613

    Australian dollar 1.849

    General News

    [24] Event on waters, industrial refuse management in Greece

    BRUSSELS (ANA-MPA/V. Demiris)

    An event organised at the European Parliament on Wednesday by the Ecologists Greens of Greece and the Institute of Local Sustainability and Culture, in cooperation with the Greens Group at the European Parliament, focused on the issue of "The management of waters and industrial waste in Greece: The cases of the Asopos river, the Koronia lake and the Corinthian Gulf."

    Participating, among others, were Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Ministry Secretary General Evangelos Baltas, deputies and Eurodeputies, inhabitants of the regions, special scientists and European Commission representatives.

    The aim of the event was to highlight the problem of pollution concerning these regions, affecting the inhabitants' health, the environment, agriculture and stockbreeding.

    Baltas referred to measures taken to handle the problem, stressing that the relevant directive on environmental responsibility has already been prepared as a presidential decree and will be submitted to the Council of State soon for further procedures, while there is a time limit until the end of 2009 for the tabling of the management plan, that is at the stage of preparation and processing by the officials concerned.

    [25] Philhellenism and International Solidarity Day events

    The celebration of Philhellenism and International Solidarity Day in the Greek Parliament, regularly observed on April 19 in compliance with a Presidential Decree signed last year, will this year be postponed until the following week so as not to coincide with the Orthodox Easter Sunday.

    April 19 was proclaimed Philhellenism and International Solidarity Day at the initiative of Parliament President Dimitris Sioufas, commemorating the anniversary of the death of the famous poet and philhellene Lord Byron, a human rights advocate and among the first to voice opposition to the looting of the Parthenon Marbles by Lord Elgin.

    A collector stamp will be issued within the framework of the scheduled events, while a special publication will feature the engraved figure of Lord Byron by artist Tassos, including texts on his participation in the Greek liberation struggle.

    Lord Byron was a great philhellene and his early poetry had contributed to sensitizing the Europeans to the plight of Greece under the Ottoman Turks. In 1824, he joined the Greek liberation fighters at Messolonghi, where he died of malarial fever on April 19.

    This year's celebration coincides with the 200th anniversary of Lord Byron's first visit to Greece.

    [26] City of Athens to host 30 L'Aquila students this week

    The city of Athens will host 30 Italian students who lived through the destructive earthquake which hit the central Italian city of L'Aquila on April 6, for a week, beginning on Thursday.

    The 30 students, aged 15 to 25, will have the opportunity to spend a week away from the site of the catastrophe and familiarise themselves with the Greek capital.

    On Saturday, which is Holy Easter Saturday on the Eastern Orthodox calendar, Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis will receive the students at city hall, on Kotzia Square.

    [27] Police search house claimed to be Paleokostas' hiding place

    Police on Tuesday night, in the presence of a prosecutor, searched a house in Alepohori, near Megara, south of Athens, alleged to be the hideout where notorious criminal Vassilis Paleokostas and his partner Alket Rijai were staying after their Hollywood-style escape by helicopter from a high security prison last February.

    According to police, a tall blonde woman rented the house a month ago, telling the landlord that she was pregnant and was going to live with her husband and her parents in the house. Police found in the two-storey house several wigs, hats and other disguise apparel, but did not turn up any money or weapons.

    Police collected fingerprints found in the house in order to examine whether they match with those of the fugitives.

    [28] Man arrested for pensioner's murder

    Police on Wednesday arrested a man as a suspect for the murder of a 74-year-old woman killed earlier that morning in Thessaloniki.

    The 25-year-old was arrested through the intervention of two neighbours working in the area, who heard the woman's cries for help and saw the suspect trying to escape from a window of her home. The woman is believed to have surprised the suspect after he broke in to rob her.

    The two neighbours gave chase and managed to catch the man before he could get away.

    Police estimate that the suspect had tried to force the woman to hand over her pension and valuables but panicked when she started calling for help, stabbing her repeatedly and thus causing fatal injuries.

    According to the victim's children, their mother had been the victim of a robbery a month earlier and one of the culprits had then been arrested but set free after appearing in a police court.

    [29] Murder attempt in Halandri

    A 32 year old hairdresser was shot in the head on Tuesday night outside a friend's house in the northern Athens suburb of Halandri.

    The man is hospitalised in critical condition, while police are investigating the incident.

    [30] Serres man arrested on drugs charge

    A 55-year-old man in Serres, northern Greece has been arrested after police found approximately 20 kilos of cannabis in his possession. The drugs were divided into 160 coded packages. A resident of Kimisi, Serres, the man was led before a public prosecutor on Wednesday.

    Police said the suspect supplied drugs to Thessaloniki, Kilkis and Serres.

    [31] Hooded vandals attack private college in Thessaloniki

    A group of roughly 10 hooded individuals launched a midday flash attack on a Liberal Studies Center in downtown Thessaloniki on Wednesday causing material damage.

    The vandals fled after smashing the glass façade of the institution using stones and other objects.

    Weather Forecast

    [32] Fair on Thursday

    Fair weather, and northwesterly winds are forecast in most parts of the country on Thursday, with wind velocity reaching 3-7 beaufort. Temperatures will range between 6C and 23C. Fair in Athens with local cloudiness, with northwesterly 3-4 beaufort winds and temperatures ranging from 10C to 22C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures ranging from 9C to 21C.

    [33] The Wednesday edition of Athens ' dailies at a glance

    The government's massive employment support package, the Siemens kickbacks and Pavlidis cases, as well as the near-capture of a notorious fugitive and escaped convict mostly dominated the headlines on Wednesday in Athens ' dailies.

    ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "2.5 billion euro employment support plan".

    APOGEVMATINI: "2.5-billion-euro life vest for 500,000 citizens".

    AVGHI: "Government, PASOK rekindle early elections rumours".

    CHORA: "Unemployed can see light in tunnel - Many people who lost jobs will be absorbed in public sector".

    ELEFTHERI ORA: "Easter Week with Greece sinking in sea of scandals".

    ELEFTHEROS: Ruling New Democracy's deputies split in two - No strategy on Pavlidis case".

    ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Support package for 500,000 jobs - One in four young people unemployed".

    ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Government terrified, now attempts to soothe impressions".

    ESTIA: "The arrogance of authority - New Democracy underestimated Mr. Papandreou".

    ETHNOS: "He (Paleokostas) fled on foot - New police fiasco with notorious fugitive".

    KATHIMERINI: "2.5 billion euro programme based on German model".

    LOGOS: "Unemployment skyrockets to 9.4 percent in January 2009".

    NIKI: "Thousands of people lose jobs every day".

    RIZOSPASTIS: "Government offering 2.5 billion euros to employers".

    TA NEA: "Profiteering in gasoline due to Easter exodus".

    VIMA: "PASOK dilemma government: 'ballots or court'."

    VRADYNI: "Subsidies and STAGE programme against unemployment."

    Cyprus Affairs

    [34] House President: Clinton-Talat meeting encourages Turkish intransigence

    NICOSIA (CNA/ANA-MPA)

    House President Marios Garoyian has said that meetings as the one which was to be held Wednesday in Washington between US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat do not promote a good climate but encourage Turkish intransigence.

    Garoyian also noted that such meetings contradict fully UN resolutions 541 and 550, adding that the international community cannot give the right to Talat to upgrade the Turkish Cypriot illegal regime in Cyprus' areas occupied since the Turkish invasion of the island in 1974.

    Talat was set to meet Clinton at 15:15 on Wednesday (Washington time).

    The UN Security Council has described the UDI the Turkish Cypriot regime declared in 1983 as "legally invalid" and has called on all states not to recognise it or facilitate it in any way. No other state except Turkey recognises the regime.

    Garoyian said the international community should not waste itself in meeting with Talat or other officials of the self-styled regime, adding that the status is important in meetings which must not take place but unfortunately have taken place and take place.

    ''They should spend their time on exerting pressure on Turkey, because it is Turkey which is responsible for the continuing occupation, it violates international law, ignores UN resolutions, has troops in Cyprus, has brought settlers to the island, violates human rights and political freedoms, does not fulfill the obligations and commitments it has undertaken towards the international community and the EU, creates obstacles at the negotiating table, dictates its conditions at the negotiating table to promote suggestions and proposals that lead to confederation outside the UN resolutions, the high level agreements, the EU principles and values,'' he pointed out.

    He said that such meeting with Talat or representatives of the Turkish occupation do not help the negotiating process nor do they contribute to a good climate.

    Garoyian said that they will do anything they can to prevent such meeting in the future and that if the international community, the US want to help achieve a viable and functional settlement of the Cyprus question, they must exert pressure on the one that holds the key to the settlement of the Cyprus question.

    [35] U.S. secretary of state to meet Turkish Cypriot leader

    WASHINGTON (ANA-MPA/T. Ellis)

    U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was scheduled to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat at the State Department on Wednesday night (at about 10:30 Greek time).

    Commenting on the meeting, which is not listed in the American minister's official meetings agenda, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said that "the secretary will meet Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. We don't have anything more."

    Wood added that "I want to be clear with all: the United States recognises only one government on the island, the Republic of Cyprus, but it maintains close and regular contacts with the Turkish Cypriots in the framework of seeking a solution to the issue of Cyprus."

    On Monday, Clinton will be receiving her counterpart from Cyprus, Markos Kyprianou, at the State Department, with whom she had met in Prague 10 days ago as well, on the sidelines of the EU-U.S. summit.

    36, TSOCHA ST. ATHENS 115 21 GREECE * TEL: 64.00.560-63 * FAX: 64.00.581-2 INTERNET ADDRESS: http://www.ana-mpa.gr * e-mail: anabul@ana gr * GENERAL DIRECTOR: GEORGE TAMBAKOPOULOS


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