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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 12-08-17Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>Friday, 17 August 2012 Issue No: 4150CONTENTS
[01] Heated ND reaction to SYRIZA MP's quip over bankruptcyStatements by Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) Parliamentary representative Panayiotis Lafazanis, made during a radio interview on Thursday, generated a heated reaction from ruling New Democracy party."He's hoping for the country's bankruptcy. A few weeks ago, he was openly calling for our exit from the euro and Europe. Neither the Greek people nor the government will do him the favour. Such statements, however, constitute a disgrace," a statement issued by ND's press office reiterated. "Default is not necessarily disastrous. It is a weapon of the weak when they reach the point of not being able to pay their debts. We must not present it as a bugbear," the veteran leftist politician was quoted as saying. [02] SYRIZA sharply criticises PM; airs list of proposalsA press release by the main opposition on Thursday charged that Prime Minister Antonis Samaras remains "dogmatically devoted to a harsh neo-liberal policy emanating from the Memorandum."The leftist party also charged that the Samaras government is unable to vie for "something different at the European level," a statement ahead of the prime minister's upcoming visits to Berlin and Paris. The party reiterated that it is "struggling" for the overturning of the Memorandum (EC-ECB-IMF creditors) policies in Greece and Europe; for a "European solution" to the debt crisis; a write-off of part of the debt; direct borrowing from the ECB, what it called "public control" of the banking system, and in closing, "viable development and a redistribution of wealth for the benefit of the working people". [03] KKE on econ developmentsThe Communist Party (KKE) on Thursday, in a announcement referring to developments in the economy, pointed out that "what people should be afraid of is not disengagement from the EU and the unilateral write-off of the debt, but of the sacrifices imposed for capitalistic profits, and the country's presence in the eurozone and EU".[04] Former PM Papandreou holds telephone conversation with former German chancellor Gerhard SchroederFormer prime minister George Papandreou and former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who is vacationing on the island of Kos, discussed during a telephone conversation the situation in the Eurozone, developments in Europe and Greece, discussions taking place on the country and what can be done from now on.According to the same reports, Papandreou, on the occasion of statements made by the former German chancellor on Wednesday, expressed satisfaction over the fact that Schroeder is showing his support for Greece in practice. Financial News [05] T-bills auction concludedThe Public Debt Management Organisation has accepted additional offers amounting to 937.5 million euros for a T-bills auction that took place on Tuesday, Aug. 14, resulting in total bids of 5 billion euros.The settlement date has been set for Friday, Aug. 17, 2012. The interest rate was set at 4.43 percent. [06] Shares end up on ASEShares closed at their highest levels since July 20, 2012, ending above the 630-point mark on Thursday, albeit with a very low volume.The general price index closed at 631,56, up 1,57 percent. Trade volume totaled 15.68 million euros. Sector indices ended as follows: Industrials: +0.08% Commercial: +2.25% Construction: +1.51% Oil & Gas: -0.78% Personal & Household: +0.69% Raw Materials: +2.46% Travel & Leisure: +0.99% Technology: +2.21% Telecoms: +4.44 Banks: +4.52% Food & Beverages: +1.16% Health: -0.63% Utilities: +3.57% Financial Services: +6.55% The stocks with the highest turnover were OPAP, OTE, National Bank and Coca Cola 3E. Selected shares from the FTSE/ASE-20 index closed in euros as follows: Alpha Bank: 1,32 Public Power Corp (PPC): 2,4 HBC Coca Cola: 14,79 Hellenic Petroleum: 5,85 National Bank of Greece: 1,3 EFG Eurobank Ergasias: 0,7 OPAP: 5,29 OTE: 2,35 Bank of Piraeus: 0,23 Titan: 13 General News [07] Fatality after speed boat passes over swimmerA 47-year-old high-ranking police officer was fatally injured on Wednesday afternoon after he was hit by a speedboat off a beach at the Aghios Minas site, near the city of Volos in central Greece.The victim, who was stationed in Volos, was swimming with his 15-year-old son some 60 metres distance from the shore. The latter was seriously injured. The pilot of the craft, a 25-year-old local man, was allegedly intoxicated, police said. He was sent before a local prosecutor. [08] Suspect in double homicide of two Polish nationals chargedA 47-year-old Polish man was arrested on Thursday on charges of murdering two compatriots the previous day in downtown Athens.According to police, the suspect fatally stabbed the other two men inside an apartment where the first body was found. The other body was found in a dumpster outside the apartment building. The suspect will be sent before an Athens prosecutor. [09] Foreign national arrested on international warrantA 36-year-old Albanian national wanted on an international warrant was arrested on Thursday after entering the country from the Kakavia border post on the Greek-Albanian frontier. The man is wanted in Italy on a Europol arrest warrant on charges of grand theft and burglary.The suspect was sent before an Ioannina prosecutor in order for an extradition procedure to Italy to begin. [10] Suspect in attempted armed robbery chargedA 43-year-old man who earlier on Thursday allegedly attempted to rob a mini market in the eastern Attica coastal town of Rafina, was arrested outside of Athens.According to reports, the owner of the mini market activated an electronic lock on the store's security door, momentarily blocking the suspect's getaway. The latter started shooting the door and afterwards fled with a car. A suspect was later arrested in the nearby town of Spata. Authorities confiscated an assault rifle and hand grenades, amongst others, at the suspect's residence. [11] Latest arrests of illegals trying to fly out of Araxos airportAnother two foreign nationals were arrested on Thursday after attempting to board a flight for a west European destination at the Araxos airport in southwestern Greece.According to reports, a 34-year-old Pakistani man and a 27-year-old Algerian attempted to fly to the Italian city of Bergamo using a forged Pakistani passport and a stolen Italian ID card. Migrant smuggling rings have repeatedly targeted Greek provincial airports, which are particularly busy in the summer holiday season, over the recent period, attempting to smuggle mostly Third World nationals to west European destinations using fake or stolen travel documents. [12] Contraband cigarettes seized at Thessaloniki portThe coast guard in Thessaloniki on Thursday located a container in the city's port containing a large quantity of contraband cigarettes. Roughly 400,000 packs of cigarettes had been shipped from the UAE. Unpaid taxes on the cache is estimated at two million euros. According to authorities, the cargo's final destination was Bulgaria.[13] Wildfire on Samos placed under controlA wildfire broke out at dawn on Thursday in the forested region of Lekka, on the island of Samos. Five firefighting vehicles and 10 firefighters, backed by volunteers from neighbouring municipalities, rushed to the scene and placed it under control.Sports [14] Aegean Regatta sets sailThe international Aegean Regatta yacht race began early Monday from the port of Vathi on the eastern Aegean island of Samos. The race, which is organised for 12th consecutive year by the Aegean and Islands policy general secretary in cooperation with the Open Seas committee, the Hellenic Yacht Club and Hios Yacht club, will cover 107 nautical miles, with intermediate stops on Lesvos, Oinousses and Hios before concluding on Syros on Aug. 24.[15] The Thursday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance.The extension of an adjustment period for the country's fiscal programme and the efforts to discourage the "underground labour" sector mostly dominated the headlines on Thursday in Athens' newspapers.0 ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Extension of programme from two to four years". AVRIANI: "Europeans prepare additional 100 bln-euro 'haircut' of Greek public debt". DIMOKRATIA: "What's happening with illegal migrants". ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Arrangements with reductions for debts to Tax Bureau and social security funds" ESTIA: "That's how we'll exit recession". ETHNOS: "Prosecutor for illegal pensions". IMERISSIA: "Prime Minister Antonis Samaras asks for two-year extension". NAFTEMPORIKI: "What reversals new taxation framework will bring". TA NEA: "War against undeclared labour". 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: ILIAS MATSIKAS Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |