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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-10-16Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] N.Ikonio terminal to CoscoThe contract for concession of two piers of the container terminal of Neo Ikonio, near the port of Piraeus, to the Chinese company Cosco Pacific Ltd. was approved by the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) board of directors late Wednesday night, after minor incidents between dockworkers and police.Cosco Pacific Ltd., a Cosco Group company and one of the biggest port operators in the world, had been named in August as the provisional bidder in an international tender for the Concession of use and exploitation of Piers II and III of the Piraeus Port Authority's container terminal at Neo Ikonio. The document of approval of the contract for the 35-year concession, which will bring an estimated 2.356 billion euros to the state coffers, was signed by 10 of the 13 board members, while Piraeus mayor Panagiotis Fasoulas and the two employees' representatives on the board opposed the concession. The 10 board members who signed the concession convened in the waiting lounge for cruiseship passengers, as protesting dockworkers staged a takeover of the OLP conference hall. The concession contract will be sent for approval to the State Audit Council, after which it will be tabled in parliament for ratification. Port employees protested that the approval of the concession was illegal and warned they will take recourse in justice. [02] Engine failure in president's planeAn engine problem has delayed Greek President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias' return to Athens on Thursday from a four-day state visit to Vietnam.An engine failure indication on the instrument panel of the Olympic Airways (OA) A-340 airbus that was to transport Papoulias and the accompanying delegation of 180 people back to Athens caused cancellation of the 2:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. Greek time) scheduled departure from Da Nang for Athens via Hanoi. The problem was pinpointed in one of the airplane's four engines as the plane was preparing to take off, and the pilot aborted the procedure, while OA technicians on board the airbus were trying to repair the problem. Papoulias and the other passengers disembarked from the plane and were taken to a hotel in the city. Caption: President Karolos Papoulias in Vietnam on Wednesday 15 October 2008. ANA-MPA/VANGELIS VARDOULAKIS [03] ASE mid-session: DeclineEquity prices were declining on Thursday on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), influenced by the major international money markets, with the basic share price index down 4.11 percent, standing at 2,283.64 points at 12:15 a.m., and turnover at 91.4 million euros.Individual sector indices were moving downward across the board, with the heaviest losses in Personal & Household goods down, 6.41 percent; Health, down 6.23 percent; Banks, down 5.53 percent; Constructions, down 4.67 percent; and Media down 4.07 percent. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was down 4.40 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was down 4.28 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was down 2.43 percent. Of the stocks moved, 15 were up, 176 were down, and 12 were unchanged. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |