Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-10-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Rain, storms on Sunday

[02] Domestic banks healthy despite profit slump, banker says

[03] Firebomb wrecks suburban mayors's car

[04] Earthquake jolts eastern Crete, no damage or injuries

[05] Court rules pilots' strike illegal, flights expected to run normally

[06] Greeks to vote in local elections Sunday, hampered by bad weather

[07] Weather Forecast: Rain on Saturday

[01] Weather Forecast: Rain, storms on Sunday

Rain and storms are forecast in all parts of the country, easing off from the northwest late at night. Winds south-southwesterly, moderate to strong, turning very strong at sea. In the north, temperatures will range from 12C to 21C; in the west from 15C to 23C; and in the rest of the country from 16C to 27C. Temperatures in Athens between 17C and 23C; and in Thessaloniki from 15C to 21C.

[02] Domestic banks healthy despite profit slump, banker says

Domestic banks have a healthy outlook despite a round of slumping profits, the governor of the country's largest bank said on Saturday.

Theodoros Karatzas, head of blue-chip National Bank of Greece, told a financial magazine that a current profit decline was due to shrinking profit margins stemming from a drop in interest rates.

In addition, lower earnings were due to a loss of foreign exchange business following the switch to the euro; and a weak bourse that had driven down earnings for the banks' financial services subisidiaries.

''However, low profitability does not mean that banks have a problem. On the contrary, this is an incentive for restructuring in a move to curb spending and improve technological infrastrucutre,'' Karatzas told the Oikonomikos Tahidromos magazine.

[03] Firebomb wrecks suburban mayors's car

A firebomb placed under an Athens suburban mayor's car went off in the early hours of Saturday morning, wrecking the vehicle, police said.

No-one was injured in the night attack on the car belonging to the mayor of Halandri, a north Athens suburb.

Local polls to elect mayors and prefects are to be held around the country on Sunday.

[04] Earthquake jolts eastern Crete, no damage or injuries

An earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale shook eastern Crete on Saturday. No injuries or damage were reported.

The epicentre of the earthquake, which occurred at 08:55 hours, was located 410 kilometres south of Athens in southeastern Crete, the Geodynamic Institute of the Athens National Observatory said in a statement.

[05] Court rules pilots' strike illegal, flights expected to run normally

An Athens court on Saturday ruled illegal a four-hour work stoppage called by airline pilots next week to protest against a decision by management of Olympic Airways to abolish flights to Australia.

Pilots are expected to report to work normally from 0800 to noon on Tuesday when the walkout was due to be held.

The strike was called to draw public attention to alleged disinformation from management about its reasons for terminating flights to Australia, the Union of Civil Aviation Pilots said in a statement last week.

Workers claimed that management had indicated the route may stay afloat, but in reality the decision to halt flights had already been taken, and talks were underway with other airlines on terms damaging to Olympic Airways, the statement added.

[06] Greeks to vote in local elections Sunday, hampered by bad weather

Greeks are to vote in local polls on Sunday to elect mayors and prefects around the country.

A second round of voting may be held on the same day a week later if

winning candidates fail to receive 50 percent of ballots plus one vote, as required by law.

Athens, the country's largest municipality, has set up telephone and internet help lines for members of the public unsure where to vote; and around 450 taxis and 137 mini-buses have been assigned to transport the elderly and handicapped to the ballot box.

Storms and heavy rain in most parts of the country on Saturday hindered voters who set off for the provinces to vote there the following day.

Congestion was reported on majors highways from Athens to Corinth and to Lamia; and a road linking the western port city of Patras to Pyrgos was closed for two hours due to heavy rain.

In addition, authorities cautioned travellers to contact the coast guard before leaving home to catch a ferry, as high winds were expected, possibly leading to local bans on shipping.

The weather is due to improve from Sunday evening, the meteorological service said.

[07] Weather Forecast: Rain on Saturday

Rain and storms are forecast in all parts of the country, easing off for short spells in the centre and south. Winds southerly, moderate to strong, turning very strong in the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 13C to 23C; in the west from 16C to 25C; and in the rest of the country from 15C to 29C. Temperatures in Athens between 18C and 25C; and in Thessaloniki from 15C to 22C.

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