Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-01-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou issues stern warning to Ankara

[02] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Papandreou issues stern warning to Ankara

Speaking before a gathering of supporters in the central Greece city of Trikala, Papandreou appeared confident that the next elections will produce a PASOK government and give him the premiership.

Referring to the ongoing international economic crisis and Greece, Papandreou blamed the New Democracy government for "allowing the country to face the new developments without protection."

He also blamed the government over what he called an excessive national debt, a widening of poverty and the current economic crisis.

"Tomorrow in Brussels we will officially hear the bleak news about the Greek economy," he said, adding that "we know what Mr. (EU Commissioner Joaquin) Almunia will say; we've said this in Parliament a month ago."

"The country is only a breath away from recession ... we will not allow it, PASOK has the solution for an exit from the crisis and a plan for economic development," he said.

Speaking in a region that forms Greece's "breadbasket", namely, the Thessaly province, Papandreou made mention of ever-depleting water resources, promising that PASOK will "not allow Thessaly to turn into a Sahara (desert)".

To fight whatever shortages in irrigation waters, he referred to better exploitation of resources, new infrastructure works (reservoirs, dams etc.) the promotion of less water-dependent crops and a new water management entity.

Moreover, and again in view of the dominate economic activity in Trikala, Papandreou promised that a PASOK government will, through "tough negotiations", lobby and fight to continue EU subsidies beyond the current deadline of 2013, while referring to a modernisation of the agriculture sector through a public investment programme.

Among others, he also called for one billion euros of a 28-million-euro liquidity guarantee by the state towards domestic banks be diverted to the agriculture sector as well as a string of measures to freeze, defer and reduce loan burdens faced currently by farmers and farm cooperatives; more subsidies for certain areas and increases in VAT returns, along with cheaper oil and heating oil.

[02] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The economy, a couple of references to the Gaza crisis along the weekend "staple" of opinion poll results -- with accompanying long or short analyses by the papers that publish them -- again dominated the front-page headlines of Athens' Sunday editions.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "What type of university asylum do we want? A free exchange of ideas or firebombs?"

APOGEVMATINI: "All school textbooks changing: Plan by pedagogical institute".

AVGHI: "Crucial moment for economy".

AVRIANI: "Swiss prosecutors point to former PASOK minister (as involved in the Siemens kickback affair)."

CHORA: "Illegal buildings: 262 areas to be included in town planning zones".

ELEFTHERI ORA: "Bush league: After he bloodied the entire planet he's now leaving the White House for his ranch".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Eight in 10 supporters of ruling ND party and main opposition PASOK say yes to another term by President Karolos Papoulias".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Economic heart attack. Athens without a remedy to coming recession in Europe".

EPOCHI: "Bombs will not be victorious in Gaza".

ETHNOS: "Opinion poll: Gap clips hopes by ruling ND for rebound. PASOK ahead by 4.6 percent".

KATHIMERINI: "PASOK and Karamanlis ahead in opinion polls. Government majority (after next elections) problematic".

LOGOS: "They're readying the ballot boxes (on the one hand) but officially denying the prospect".

NIKI: "Bleak news from Brussels about Greek economy".

PARON: "He's (PM) betting the pot on Euro-elections. Karamanlis determined to politicise elections in order to stop slippage (in support)".

PROTO THEMA: "They're giving weapons to 50,000 private security guards without training and a monitoring regime."

REAL NEWS: "We're (taxpayers) paying for a chef for (new Education Minister) Aris Spiliotopoulos!"

RIZOSPASTIS: "Government reinforcing plutocracy by using economic crisis as a pretence".

VIMA: "Government analysing opinion poll results. (PM Costas) Karamanlis' decision pending".

VRADYNI: "State coffers opening for citizens. National pension for all Greeks".

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