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Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-08-13Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] PM in Komotini on SaturdayPrime minister Costas Karamanlis will be in the northeastern town of Komotini on Saturday, where he will celebrate the August 15 feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.Karamanlis will attend the liturgy in the church of the Theotokos (Mother of God) in Komotini on Saturday morning. On that same evening, the Prime Minister will address the World Congress of Thracians being held in the town. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis [02] PASOK on Siemens involvement allegationsMain opposition PASOK party secretary Yiannis Ragoussis, on party leader George Papandreou's instructions, will in the next few days send a letter to Siemens Hellas former CEO Michalis Christoforakos' lawyers asking them to disclose whatever evidence or proof in their client's possession so as to "substantiate his claims as they appear in his testimony before the German justice, alleging that PASOK received money from Siemens", a party announcement said on Thursday."Our firm and unwavering position is and remains: full transparency and the need for everything to come out into the open, for the truth to be revealed and to liberate the political system from all forms of hostagery," the statement said. "PASOK is determined not to leave a single aspect of the scandal in the dark, and to permit no one to slander without evidence and proof for their own personal interests and on the altar of petty politics through unsubstantiated allegations and ridiculous concoctions" the statement concluded. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of main opposition PASOK party leader George Papandreou [03] Police operation in AthensA total of 53 people were arrested and another 11 were remanded for questioning in an extensive police crime-fighting operation conducted Wednesday night in Athens.An immense force of 220 officers from several police divisions carried out checks on 490 individuals, 61 cars, 33 motorcycles and 51 stores. During the operation, police seized minor quantities of various narcotic substances, PCs and a knife. [04] Ecumenical Patriarch to visit Tripolis in SeptemberEcumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will pay a two-day official visit on 21 and 22 September to Tripolis, central Peloponese.According to Tripolis Mayor Alexandros Kotsianis, the Ecumenical Patriarch has been invited by the Tripolis municipality and the Mantineia and Kynouria Metropolitan Church. [05] Tsipras on SiemensCoalition of the Left Movements and Ecology, (Synaspismos) leader Alexis Tsipras stated on Thursday, referring to the developments and revelations in the SIEMENS Hellas bribery and kickbacks case, that "(former Siemens Hellas CEO) Michalis Christoforakos' testimony (to a Munich prosecutor) certifies the Greek people's prevailing sentiment that the two mainstream parties (ruling New Democracy and main opposition PASOK) have set up a long time ago a consortium with Siemens as the sponsor".Tsipras added that the two parties' cadres involved in the case, and specifically the two past treasurers allegedly named by Christoforakos, "could not have been acting in absentia of their parties' leadership". Tsipras called on Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and main opposition PASOK party leader George Papandreou to "give straight answers to the people", underlining that "both leaders must give answers on who took the money, how much money they took, what they did with it and, more importantly, when will they return the money to the Greek State". "Those monies are not Siemens' money, but the money of the Greek State, which can be used to build schools, hospitals and other public works," Tsipras added. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of SYNASPISMOS party leader Alexis Tsipras [06] ASE : Big riseEquity prices were rising on Thursday on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), with the basic share price index up 2.52 percent, standing at 2,354.68 points at 12:25 p.m., and turnover at 61.1 million euros.Individual sector indices were moving upward with the the biggest gains in Health, up 6.60 percent; Banks, up 4.69 percent; Raw Materials, up 3.77 percent; and Financial Services, up 3.76 percent. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was up 3.28 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was up 1.90 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was up 1.94 percent. Of the stocks moved, 163 were up, 22 were down, and 32 were unchanged. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |