Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-01-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] Farmers throughout Greece mobilise over pension reforms; clashes in Komotini

[02] Archaeologists discover large ancient theatre on the island of Lefkada

[01] Farmers throughout Greece mobilise over pension reforms; clashes in Komotini

Tractor convoys had earlier blocked roads at Koboti in Arta and the centre of Ioannina in northwestern Greece but the roads were opened by the afternoon. Protesting farmers intend to return to Ioannina without their tractors at 18:00 for a rally, while a rally is being organised in Arta on Saturday morning.

Agricultural associations in Thesprotia and Preveza are also preparing to launch protests in the next days.

Riot police and farmers earlier clashed outside the Rodopi Regional Authority building in Komotini, where Rural Development and Food Minister Evangelos Apostolou was meeting a farmers' delegation from Rodopi and Evros, resulting in use of tear gas.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Larisa farmers turned out in protest in Thessaly, with a tractor convoy heading toward the pass in Tempi. By order of the police, the Athens-Thessaloniki national highway was closed to traffic from noon, from the Gyrtoni junction to the Stomio junction, so that the tractor convoy could reach its destination. Traffic was diverted onto alternative routes.

In Macedonia, farmers with 750 tractors threatened to block the Kerdyllia junction on the Egnatia highway "indefinitely" while those in Drama blocked the Kokkinogeia junction to Exohi.

Farmers with tractors also turned out to support a protest by fishermen in the city of Thessaloniki and protests were held in Crete, Fthiotida, the Peloponnese and other areas of the country.

A mini-government meeting with Labour Minister George Katrougalos on the farmers' pension system issues was arranged at the Maximos Mansion on Wednesday.

Alternate Finance Minister Tryfon Alexiadis will also participate in the meeting.

According to sources, the Labour ministry is examining changes in the pension system for new farmers, as well as tax relief.

[02] Archaeologists discover large ancient theatre on the island of Lefkada

Test 'sections' were cut in an area on the northeast flank of Koulmou's middle hill, which forms an amphitheatrical downward hollow ending in a lengthy flat section, the ministry announcement said. It noted that archaeologists knew very little about the city's ancient theatre, which was not mentioned in any ancient sources, though the logs of an early 20th-century archaeological excavation under the direction of German archaeologist Å. Êrüger, lasting only a few days, recorded the discovery of signs indicating the presence of an ancient theatre.

The Aitoloakarnania and Lefkada Antiquities Ephorate dug sections in 13 places, which confirmed the existence of the theatre and uncovered rows of seats, parts of the orchestra and some of the retaining walls for the stage and other parts of the theatre.

The ministry said that six sections revealed seats carved from the rock, about 0.73 to 0.90 metres deep and 0.22-0.33 metres high. Others found the orchestra and a section of a wall in a quadrant plan, up to 0.6 metres across. The sections also found portions of retaining walls.

The culture ministry said that continuing the excavation in order to reveal and protect the monument will be a priority for the ministry's services, adding that the Lefkada Municipality and Ionian Islands Regional Authority have both supported the work.

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