Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-01-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] Rafter missing on Lousios River

[02] Thessaloniki Jews who perished in Holocaust remembered (RECASTS)

[03] Papariga at blockades in Thessaly

[04] Faliro cultural complex

[01] Rafter missing on Lousios River

According to the fire brigade, his raft overturned and was carried away by the river's swift currents. A 12-member rescue team is searching the river banks.

Six hikers drowned along the Lousios River during a trek in May 2007 after a sudden rain storm caused torrent to sweep away the hikers.

[02] Thessaloniki Jews who perished in Holocaust remembered (RECASTS)

Greetings were addressed by Macedonia-Thrace minister Stavros Kalafatis, Israeli ambassador to Greece Ali Yahya, German ambassador to Greece Wolfgang Schultheiss -- who read out a message from minister of state for Europe Gunther Gloser -- Thessaloniki Prefect Panayotis Psomiadis, the chairman of the Central Jewish Council of Greece Moses Constantines, and president of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki David Saltiel.

The keynote address was delivered by main opposition PASOK MP Evangelos Venizelos, who said that "we all bow to the memory of the Holocaust victims and hear their silent cry," stressing that Greek society reacted strongly against the violence in Gaza.

Also present at the memorial event were Archbishop Demetrios of America, the consuls of the US, Spain, France and Romania, representatives of consulates, several MPs and representatives of local governments.

The Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) did not send a representative, explaining in an announcement that it honors the memory of Greek Jews but that the attendance of the Israeli ambassador rendered its own participation impossible, and consequently SYRIZA will honor the memory of the victims separately at the Holocaust Monument.

[03] Papariga at blockades in Thessaly

"Throughout Greece, from the north to the south, and of course, here in Thessaly, there are blockades are poor and middle-income farmers who are suffering from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the policy by the government, who obey the European Union's orders".

"For us there are no blue, green or red blockades. Among the protestors are people that follow different paths, vote for parties and have some differences in their demands, but this is an issue that the farmers will solve by themselves. We support all the blockades and we don't make any distinctions," she said.

The KKE secretary also condemned what she called a 'farmers court', underlining that the farmers' struggle must be also associated with the struggle for democratic and unions' freedom.

Caption: Communist Party of Greece leader Aleka Papariga among protesting farmers at a blockade at Nikaia, near Larissa city, Thessaly region. ANA-MPA/VASSILIKI PASHALI

[04] Faliro cultural complex

The 450-million-euro project will be constructed on a 16-hectare site once occupied by the horse-racing tracks and will also feature a 'agora' inspired by the meeting place of ancient Greek cities and the Stavros Niarchos Park. It is due to be delivered for use in 2015.

A member of the team that designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the architect for a number of opera houses, Renzo Piano presented a draught plan that was dominated by a raised inclined roof covering an entire hectare, which is destined to house the arrays of photovoltaic cells that will meet the energy requirements of the complex.

Beneath these are the huge reading room of the National Library, which will be designed so that it can also function as a meeting place and will be flanked by convention and conference facilities. The material in the library itself will be enriched by papers from the greatest educational institutes in the world, such as Yale or Harvard.

The National Opera will be equipped with indoor theatres but also areas for open air concerts and other events that will take place in the 'Agora'.

The architectural team has also given careful thought to the trees and plants that will planted in the Stavros Niarchos Park, which will be roughly the same size as the National Park in the centre of Athens and will seek to emphasise the Greek character of the landscape.

One of the highlights of the complex will be the canal that will run from the heart of the complex to the sea, filled with filtered sea water, which the architects envision as an ideal and safe environment for children to play.

The whole construction will be dominated by stone as a building material, one that is typically Greek and long-lasting over the ages.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of the 16-hectare site in the coastal Athens suburb of Faliro, which once occupied Athens horse-racing tracks.

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