Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-09-13

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] MEASURES IN SUPPORT OF LOW INCOMES

[02] PRIME MINISTER KARAMANLIS IN THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING

[03] NORMAL AFTERSHOCK ACTIVITY

[04] NEW PROPOSAL FOR A RESPONSE TO TURKEY

[05] TOXICOLOGY TESTS ON THE HELIOS AIRWAYS CRASH VICTIMS CAME OUT NEGATIVE

[06] CALATRAVA TO REBUILD THE ITF EXHIBITION CENTER

[07] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VISITS CENTRAL AND WEST MACEDONIA

[08] ND HAS A 4.1 PERCENTAGE-POINT LEAD OVER PASOK

[01] MEASURES IN SUPPORT OF LOW INCOMES

The government will exhaust the limits of the next budget to support the financially weaker classes and low incomes, stated after the governmental committee meeting Minister of Finance and Economy Giorgos Alogoskoufis reiterating that after studying the issue, the government reached the conclusion that it cannot afford to grant a heating oil allowance.

There can be no allowance with borrowed money, stated Mr. Alogoskoufis while Minister of Development Dimitris Sioufas predicted that in the following days gasoline prices will drop in the Greek market as well.

[02] PRIME MINISTER KARAMANLIS IN THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will attend the UN Security Council meeting in New York tomorrow, held with the participation of the leaders of the body's 15 member states.

Mr. Karamanlis will participate in a debate on the Council's reform and have contacts with state leaders and heads of governments. He will also attend the Financing Development meeting and participate in the informal meeting of the French-speaking nations, while he will also meet with UN secretary-general Kofi Annan on the Cyprus issue.

Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos is also in New York.

[03] NORMAL AFTERSHOCK ACTIVITY

Aftershock activity in the region of Megali Volvi and Mikri Volvi lakes is characterized as normal after the five tremors recorded last night, the strongest of which measured 4.5 on the Richter scale. The wider Thessaloniki region residents were alarmed by the earthquakes given the fact that the specific fault gave the catastrophic earthquake of June 20, 1978 that measured 6.5.

Thessaloniki's Aristotle University seismologist Vasilis Karakostas stated that the earthquake measuring 4.5 was probably the main tremor.

Meanwhile, at 07.41 this morning a strong earthquake measuring 5 on the Richter scale was recorded 300kms west of Athens at the sea region west of the Ionian Sea island of Cephalonia.

[04] NEW PROPOSAL FOR A RESPONSE TO TURKEY

New proposal for an EU response to the July 29 unilateral declaration by Turkey on the non recognition of the Cyprus Republic is expected to be submitted tomorrow by the British EU Presidency in the EU Permanent Representatives Committee meeting.

The new proposal allegedly has the support of France after bilateral consultations.

The agreed upon text which in the present phase is biding only on the two countries, Britain and France, is expected to be presented by the British EU Presidency, together with a response letter draft plan, in the EU Permanent Representatives Committee meeting in Brussels tomorrow.

[05] TOXICOLOGY TESTS ON THE HELIOS AIRWAYS CRASH VICTIMS CAME OUT NEGATIVE

Head of Forensic Agency Filippos Koutsaftis pointed out in a statement that toxicology tests on the Cypriot airline Helios Airways crash victims were negative as no traces of toxic substances were found in the blood and tissue samples tested.

He also stated that he briefed the Minister of Justice today on the outcome of the lab test results.

The tests conducted in the Athens Forensic Agency laboratory, came out negative with regard to carbon monoxide or any other toxic gas that could have been inhaled by the victims of the August 14, 2005 crash at Grammatiko, Athens.

[06] CALATRAVA TO REBUILD THE ITF EXHIBITION CENTER

Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava will undertake to rebuild the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair exhibition center.

In a meeting held before the inauguration of this year's ITF, Mr. Calatrava presented his ideas to the ministers of Development and Macedonia-Thrace, the Deputy Minister of Finance, local authorities and the heads of the management of ITF and HELEXPO.

According to the Thessaloniki daily Angelioforos, the reconstruction plans will include the wider area around the ITF grounds namely, the under construction City Hall, the two museums -Byzantine and Archaeological- and the university campus, having as an ultimate goal to move the city center to the specific area.

The plans also include the construction of a tower-symbol and a conference center for major events as well as the nighttime lighting of the city.

[07] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VISITS CENTRAL AND WEST MACEDONIA

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visits central and west Macedonia in northern Greece today. Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Nikos Tsiartsionis, Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, who will accompany the Ecumenical Patriarch in his visits, Pella prefecture local authorities and Metropolitan Bishops, from the so-called New Countries, will welcome the Ecumenical Patriarch at Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport today.

The Ecumenical Patriarch will visit the city of Edessa and will be declared honorary citizen, while he will also visit the cities of Giannitsa and Florina.

On September 20, the Ecumenical Patriarch will be in Athens to receive an honorary doctorate from Pantion University.

[08] ND HAS A 4.1 PERCENTAGE-POINT LEAD OVER PASOK

Ruling New Democracy party has a 4.1 percentage-point lead over main opposition Socialist Party of PASOK, according to an opinion poll conducted by the MRB polling company on behalf of Athens private television station Alpha.

New Democracy got 35%, PASOK 30.9%, Communist Party 6.1%, Coalition 3.9% and LA.O.S 2.5%. The unspecified vote was at 18.6%.

Also, 51.6% (29% of the PASOK voters) finds that the statements made by the Prime Minister in the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair were on the right direction while 40.1% disagree (17% of the ND voters).

Costas Karamanlis is regarded as most fit for the post of the prime minister by 46.3% while PASOK leader Giorgos Papandreou got 28.5%.

The government produces work that shows according to 9.1%, while 41.5% believes that its work does not show. The government has produced no work according to 46.9%.

More capable to govern is New Democracy according to 39.2%, compared to PASOK's 33.7%.

A total of 1,231 people participated in the telephone opinion poll held on September 11 from 17.30 until 22.00.

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