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Athens News Agency: News in English, 11-06-30Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Mid-term plan passed by majority vote(ANA-MPA) -- Greece's Parliament on Wednesday ratified the Medium-Term Fiscal Strategic Programme, 155 in favour to 138 against -- with five MPs declaring "present" -- the most anticipated vote in the 300-deputy legislature since democracy was restored in the country in 1974.One deputy was absent during the roll call vote and one MP voted via correspondence. Approval of the latest batch of austerity measures, tax hikes, wide-ranging reforms and accelerated privatisations means that the Greek government can expect the unimpeded allocation of the fifth tranche (12 billion euros) of an EC-ECB-IMF bailout in early July and continued deliberations, within the Eurozone, towards a second bailout if necessary. Failure to ratify the mid-term plan would have essentially meant a no-confidence vote for George Papandreou's government. A handful of MPs from the two major parties did not "toe the party line" in the vote, either voting against or in favour. The PASOK deputy that voted against was subsequetly expelled from the ruling party's Parliament group. (ANA-MPA) A vote on Thursday will be held in Parliament on the enabling or implementation law that will accompany the Medium-Term Programme. (ANA-MPA) © ANA-MPA SA. Intellectual rights and copyright belong to the ANA-MPA S.A. Reproduction of ANA-MPA content by visitors of this website is strictly forbidden. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [02] Corman: The ultimate source of inspiration"Corman's works are pictures without dividing walls. They are pictures of dignity itself," said Special Olympics president Dr. Timothy Shriver of the work of the world-renowned New York photographer.Richard Corman's "Celebrating Special Olympics" exhibition is currently on display at the Athens Hilton for the duration of the 2011 Special Olympics. After Athens, the exhibition will travel the globe, after which the photographs will be auctioned off, with all proceeds benefiting Special Olympics. A staunch supporter and for the past 20 years the official photographer of Special Olympics, his recently published book "I Am Proud" is dedicated to Special Olympics athletes. For Corman who has in his portfolio photographs of worldwide personalities such as Nelson Mandela, Robert de Niro, Madonna and Muhammed Ali, the Special Olympic athletes are a timeless and inexhaustible source of inspiration and creativity. "To depict these athletes is for me a dream come true," Corman told ANA-MPA, explaining that his photos are imbued with "total authenticity, dignity, integrity and pure joy". "There are no walls between me and the athletes. They are so dedicated to what they are doing, and there is an incredible simplicity in everything. They are the ultimate source of inspiration, and as an artist, I couldn't ask for more," he said. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo/ALEXANDROS VLAHOS More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |