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Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-12-10Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Emergency bill tabled in ParliamentANA-MPA/A draft bill citing "urgent measures for the implementation of the support programme" was tabled in Parliament on Thursday evening, foreseeing changes to collective labour agreements, deep reforms in the labour market and wide-ranging wage cuts in loss-making state utilities and enterprises. The bill was discussed during a meeting of the cabinet earlier in the day.ana-mpaThe bill will be debated via an urgent process at the economic affairs committee on Monday, in one session, and will be unveiled for a plenum vote on Tuesday. Measures are linked directly to the achievement of the targets and the smooth implementation of the country's Economic Policy Programme and must be in force as of Jan. 1, 2011. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [02] Deputy Tourism minister on Russian touristsMOSCOW (ANA-MPA/Th. Avgerinos) - Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister George Nikitiadis, speaking to the Russian RIA-Novosti agency on the occasion of his visit to Moscow, said that Greece is planning to double the number of Russian tourists from the next tourist season. ana-mpa"Russia is one of the most important markets for Greek tourism. In the past season the Russian tourists were about 330,000. I want to hope that this number will increase in double in 2011 and maybe even more," Nikitiadis said, explaining that the Greek government has decreased taxes and is taking a series of other measures to strengthen the competitiveness of the Greek tourist product and to keep prices low. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [03] Deputy FM begins talks with officials in AustraliaMelbourne (ANA-MPA/S. Hatzimanolis) -- Deputy foreign minister for Greeks Abroad affairs Dimitris Dollis, currently on a visit to Australia, on Thursday night expressed satisfaction from his contacts during the first day of his visit."They couldn't have been better," Dollis said on his talks with the political and community leaders in states of South Australia and New South Wales.ana-mpa "I renewed old friendships and put to the prime ministers (of the two states) and other state officials the issues that are of immediate interest to us, with the emphasis on education, relations with Greece, tourism, and trade between Australia and Greece, as well as a number of other matters," Dollis said. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [04] Ski resorts await first snow over weekendANA-MPa/Ski resort operators throughout northern Greece are keeping a close watch on the weather bulletins this week as the first real snowfall of the winter season is forecast for the weekend, ending a nearly month-long period of unseasonably fair weather in the east Mediterranean country -- in stark contrast with snow-bound north and northwest Europe.Operators this season are expected to offer more competitive holiday packages in tune with the crisis-plagued economy, along with added attractions, such as night-time skiing.ana-mpa "We're ready, the necessary works have already been done, and the only thing we're waiting for is enough snow in order to open the ski resort to visitors. We're hopeful that the coming weekend will be the one," Thomas Apostolou, the manager of the Kaimaktsalan resort on Greece's northern frontier said. ana-mpa Other ski resorts further to the west, such as Vassilitsa, in mountainous Grevena prefecture, and the noted village of Tria-Pente Pigadia, near Naoussa, expect the forecast freezing temperatures to lure excursionists to the mountain resorts, regardless of the amount of snow that sticks to the slopes. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [05] Public transport stoppagesANA-MPA/Athens public transport employees will be staging work stoppages on Sunday and Monday in protest of the government's changes in public transport as well as in labour relations.Work stoppages on Sunday will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., coinciding with hours that the shops will remain open ahead of Christmas.ana-mpa On Monday, public transport will reach a standstill between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [06] Building activity downANA-MPA/Provisional data published by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) on Thursday indicated that the volume of Total Building Activity decreased 23.2 percent in September 2010 compared with the same month in 2009.ELSTAT figures showed that total public and private Building Activity in the whole country, in terms of the number of building permits issued nationwide, amounted to 3.970 in September. This figure corresponded to 880.4 thousand m2 of surface and 3,128.6 thousand m3 of volume, reflecting respectively a 15.0% decrease in the number of building permits, a 17.2% decrease in surface and a 23.2% decrease in volume, compared to the same month of 2009.ana-mpa Private Building Activity in the whole country came to 3,927 building permits, corresponding to 854.7 thousand m2 of surface and 3,032.4 thousand m 3 of volume. In comparison with the same month of 2009, there was a 15.1% decrease in the number of building permits, a 16.3% decrease in surface and a 21.9% decrease in volume. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [07] ASE opening: DeclineEquity prices were declining at the opening of trade on Friday on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), with the basic share price index down 0.41 percent, standing at 1,536.14 points at 11:15 am, and turnover at 13.710 million euros.Individual sector indices were mixed, with the biggest gains in Chemicals, up 2.08 percent; and Insurance, up 1.49 percent. The biggest losses were in Personal and Household Goods, down 1.04 percent, and Oil and Gas, down 0.55 percent. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was down 0.25 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was up 0.05 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was up 0.28 percent. Of the stocks traded, 29 were up, 30 were down, and 18 were unchanged. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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