Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-03-04

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM briefs President on EU summit

[02] ASE opening: Small rise

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM briefs President on EU summit

Karamanlis said that Europe was facing the biggest crisis ever, stressing that coordination of actions was required to tackle the crisis.

He said it was a crisis that was developing day by day in such a way that no one could predict the extent, size and depth of its consequences.

A specific action plan was necessary to confront the economic and, chiefly, the social repercussions of the crisis, Karamanlis said, stressing also that responsibility and maturity was required on the part of everyone -- political parties, professional and social agencies and the citizens.

The premier further reiterated the need for agreement on "the basics and the self-evident", given that the crisis "is knocking on our door" and "no one can turn a deaf ear".

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis(L) and President of Republic Karolos Papoulias(R) at the presidential mansion.

[02] ASE opening: Small rise

Individual sector indices were moving mostly upward, with the biggest gains in Public Utilities, up 3.45 percent; Personal & Household Goods, up 1.54 percent; and Mass Media, up 1.45 percent.

The biggest losses were Travel & Recreation, down 1.63 percent; Financial Services, down 1.00 percent; and Food & Beverage, down 0.58 percent.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was up 0.16 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was up 0.49 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was up 0.74 percent.

Of the stocks moved, 45 were up, 18 were down, and 26 were unchanged.

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis meeting with President Karolos Papoulias later in the day and EU recommendations that Greece take additional measures to combat the crisis dominated the headlines on Wednesday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "The hiring procedure for 60,000 unemployed in the private and public sector".

APOGEVMATINI: "22,945 hirings in public sector".

AVGHI: "Salaries, pensions and bonuses in the 'guillotine' - The government submissively abiding by the Commission and OECD recommendations".

AVRIANI: "The guilty must pay for the unemployment and the poverty that has spread everywhere and the looting of the world's wealth".

CHORA: "Life-raft with new measures - Alert in government over the unexpected development".

ELEFTHEROS: "The first social security Fund went bankrupt - General Bank of Greece's Personnel Fund is unable to pay auxiliary pensions and lump sum retirement gratuity".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Tsounami strikes the social security funds".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Government does not want to impose additional taxes before European Parliament elections".

ESTIA: "The economic crisis demands consensus - Parties outbid each other in irresponsibility".

ETHNOS: "Friendly ultimatum for measures - Brussels awaiting Athens' new plan".

KATHIMERINI: "The Greek economy in a vise - EU demands additional measures as international organisations' predictions are gloomy".

LOGOS: "FinMin Yannis Papathanassiou foresees: Unexpectd and unpleasant developments".

NIKI: "State television and radio corporation ERT giving out golden contracts - Spending of million of euros in the midst of an austerity period".

RIZOSPASTIS: "The peoples unwilling to pay for the crisis".

TA NEA: "Government patching the black hole by imposing triple surcharges, while denying specuation of new taxes".

TO VIMA: "Karamanlis is disappointed with the outcome of the EU Extraordinary Summit".

VRADYNI: "Green light for legalization of undeclared basements and partially enclosed balconies".

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article