Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-12-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] Parliament ratifies state 2011 budget

[02] Christmas carols to ND leader

[03] Health minister visits children in state child care facility in Pentelis

[04] Man found dead in Patras; foul play suspected

[05] Snow levels marginal in ski resorts for Christmas

[06] Civil aviation strike banned

[07] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Parliament ratifies state 2011 budget

Addressing the House prior to the vote, Prime Minister George Papandreou stressed that "I declare myself more optimistic than ever for Hellenism and Greece. In 2012 we shall enter a growth orbit and in 2013, be rid of the memorandum. The painful measures are now behind us."

Papandreou added that "as we have denied the local and international Cassandras of disaster, in the same way we shall deny them until they leave us alone, until they realise that this government, these people, do not bow and do not succumb."

Papandreou referred to "myths" which, as he said weaken the effort for the recovery of the country's prestige and sink Greek society in misery and fatalism. He added that one myth wants the crisis to be an international one, a capitalist one which is irrelevant with Greek reality.

"Both are valid," the prime minister said, "the crisis found Greece in a state of collapse, because we did not do what we should have done for years."

He further said that another myth considers bankruptcy to be inevitable. "There is no discussion which is more corrosive, more dangerous and unfair than that which some are maintaining: We found,ourselves on the verge of bankruptcy, we passed through hell in 2010, but we stood up. We are facing the issue of the debt with prudence, systematically, in an organised way and with careful negotiations, such as for the extension of the repayment."

Papandreou also referred to Greek responsibilities saying: "Must we blame the IMF? Did we not have responsibility for the corruption of the National Health System (ESY). For the unbelievable bureaucracy, the clientele relations, the lack of regional development, the fact that we created an agriculture depending on subsidies without being competitive, that our universities are unacceptably low in the international rating, that our islands lack drainage, refuse dumps, places of recreation."

The prime minster underlined that the government's top priority in 2011 is "a state at the servive of the citizen" with electronic Citizen Serving Centres, the citizen's card, a unified salary scale, a card for the registration of receipts.

Lastly, Papandreou pointed out that "we shall do everything so that this crisis will not deal a blow at the poorest. We shall exhaust all margins in cooperation with the local administration bodies (OTA), the society of citizens, even with the Church, in this direction."

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[02] Christmas carols to ND leader

Later, the Pan-Epirus Federation of Greece performed traditional songs and dances at the ND party headquarters.

Samaras expressed his season's greetings ''hope for the country".

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[03] Health minister visits children in state child care facility in Pentelis

The children presented the minister with a drawing that they had prepared together and he also received a special gift from a seven-year-old supporter of the Olympiacos Piraeus football club, the team also supported by the minister, who gave him with an Olympiacos mug and received a bag items from the Olympiacos FC gift shop in return.

The Anarrotirio Pentelis is one of the main and most important child care agencies in Greece for neglected or abused children without care-givers, making arrangements for them to be adopted or placed in foster families.

It currently provides a home for 34 children, ranging in age from newborns to eight years old, and also monitors a foster-home programme for another 154 children.

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[04] Man found dead in Patras; foul play suspected

The body was found by passing drivers on the lane heading towards Patras, who called the police. It was wrapped in a blanket and showed signs of wounds inflicted by a sharp instrument, as well as bruising. Police suspect the victim was murdered in another location and then dumped on the road by his attackers.

Authorities are now trying to collect information concerning the identity of the victim, which they say will help them find those responsible. They also hope for more leads from the autopsy that will be conducted at Patras' university hospital.

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[05] Snow levels marginal in ski resorts for Christmas

On Friday, the only ski resorts with open pistes were on Parnassus, central Greece, Seli and Tria-Pente Pigadia in Naoussa, northern Greece, as well as on Mt. Voras (Kaimaktsalan) on the border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM).

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[06] Civil aviation strike banned

Members of OSYPA, in response to the ruling on Friday, said that they would resort to other forms of labour mobilisation in protest against the government's plans for mandatory transfers of some 500 mechanics and pilots of the former Olympic Airways currently employed by the CAS. They did not reveal what form this action would take but it may result in minor problems with ground handling, especially in regional airports around the country.

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[07] Athens Newspaper Headlines

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "25 changes in pensions, retirement age limits and incomes".

AVGHI: "Countdown for Memorandum and government".

AVRIANI: "All the changes in social security to be brought into effect as of Jan. 1."

CHORA: "2011 will bring a mountain of taxes".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Tough bargaining over gas, oil".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Reversals in 350 professions".

ELEFTHEROS: "Government selling off state property".

ESTIA: The newspaper republishes the 1940 edition.

ETHNOS: "Shocking recipe for doctors, students and medical staff".

KATHIMERINI: "Government between PASOK and troika".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "12.7 billion euros in new measures foreseen in March Memorandum".

NIKI: "350 euros pension ... and then we'll see".

PARON: "List of 1,991 Greeks with hidden bank deposits".

PROTO THEMA: "WikiLeaks burns Dora (Bakoyannis)".

REAL NEWS: "Prime Minister George Papandreou reflects on early elections and sends message: 'I will not become hostage'."

RIZOSPASTIS: "United class war against government, troika and big capital".

VETO: "State a collection firm, tax bureaus the detectives".

VIMA: "Immediate opening for 150 closed professions".

VRADYNI: "Public sector: All the transfers - Who loses, who gains".

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