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Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-08-05Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Aegean to fly to Heathrow, beginning in Oct.Aegean Air on Wednesday announced that it will begin daily flights to London's Heathrow airport -- at least two flights a day -- beginning on Oct. 25 and using its new Airbus A321 fleet.Aegean also reiterated, in a press release, the company's goal of joining the Star Alliance, estimated by the summer of 2010. [02] Illegal migrants on Samos threaten hunger strikeSome 580 illegal immigrants being held at a migrant reception centre on the eastern Aegean island of Samos threatened to go on a hunger strike as of Wednesday to protest their possible deportation.According to reports from the island, the illegal migrants also demand travel documents to be issued in a short amount of time so they can travel to Athens, and from there, to other destinations in western Europe. Samos has emerged as a major transit point for migrant smugglers operating from the opposite Turkish coast, with hundreds of mostly Third World migrants attempting to reach the verdant Greek isle every year. On Tuesday, groups affiliated with the Communist Party and other local groupings protested to prevent the transport of 26 illegal immigrants aboard a ferry boat headed for northern Greece. [03] Major fiber optic initiativeDevelopment Minister Evripides Stylianidis on Wednesday unveiled a draft law entitled "Fiber to the Home", during a press conference in Athens, where he stressed that the initiative will dramatically improve Greece's standing in the EU's list for gauging new technology innovation.Stylianidis said the programme is a radical step forward in terms of household and small business communications and innovation, with the budget reaching 2.1 billion euros -- 700 million euros coming from state coffers and 1.4 billion from private domestic and foreign investors. The scheme is part of the Greek government's high-profile public-private sector partnerships. The draft bill's provisions call for the fiber-optic connection of two million Greek households and businesses in 54 cities. [04] Queen Sofia in OlympiaQueen Sofia of Spain, accompanied by members of the Spanish royal family, on Tuesday visited ancient Olympia.Queen Sofia, currently in Greece for holidays, was welcomed at the archaeological site by western Greece Secretary General Spyros Spyridon and Ancient Olympia Mayor George Aidonis. The Queen of Spain was given a tour of the new Olympia museum and the site by archaeologist Georgia Hatzi. [05] Stocks slip on Wed.Stocks slipped on Wednesday at the Athens Stock Exchange with the composite index of the market losing 1.80 pct to end at 2,390.24 points. Turnover was a very low 189.9 million euros, of which 7.5 million were block trades.Sector indices moved mostly upward with Insurances (1.27 pct) and Telecoms (1.21 pct). Health (13.47 pct), Financials (4.32 pct) and Utilities (3.34 pct) recorded the biggest losses. The FTSE 20 index ended 1.56 pct up, the FTSE 40 index 2.63 pct down and the FTSE 80 rose 1.48 percent. From the stocks moved, 67 ended up, 148 declined and 45 remained unchanged. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |