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Sunday, 22 December 2024
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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 13-03-02Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Alert sounded after arms cash found in prison cellAWMNA/ An alert has sounded at the Korydallos high-security prison near Piraeus after a pistol and two active hand grenades were discovered in a prisoner's cell in the fourth wing of the penitentiary during a surprise inspection of cells.Prison sources said the a while ago the penitentiary officials had received information of the existence of arms in a cell and had in turn informed the Justice Ministry. The sources added that the penitentiary's administration did not rule out the existence of a plan for an organized prison-break. Continuous surprise spot checks of cells have been taking place recently in all prisons throughout the country, as penitentiary officials fear that some inmates may want to attempt a repeat of notorious lifer Panagiotis Vlastos' recent foiled helicopter escape attempt from Trikala penitentiary, albeit with a different modus operandi. An investigation is underway to find out how the arms were smuggled into the prison and for what purpose. [02] Athens Newspaper Headlines on SaturdayAMNA/ The Saturday edition of Athens' dailies at a glanceELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Last opportunity for settlement of old debts to Tax Bureau". ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Shock plan: One (social security) fund for everyone". EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: "The corruption maze". ELLADA: "Tax-cannibalism via e-mail". ESTIA: "Voice of one crying in the Wilderness over taxation". ETHNOS: "The regulations (for legalizing) structures lacking building licenses". IMERISSIA: "One billion euro VAT stolen - Burring document from SDOE financial crimes squad". KATHIMERINI: "Kouvelis (leader of junior partner in three-party coalition government) veto on layoffs (in public sector". NAFTEMPORIKI: "Into the 'battle' for the tax revenues with new weapons". NIKI: "Loans: New law hides traps and minor opportunities". RIZOSPASTIS: "Immense government blame". TA NEA: "The war of the taxes". VRADYNI: "Upsets for old insured". 6DAYS:"Plan 'Jungle' for 25,000 layoffs". [03] Weather to turn inclement as of Saturday nightAMNA/ Weather conditions are expected to turn inclement in western, central and southern Greece, with heavy rain, storms, storm winds and snow on high ground beginning in the west as of Saturday night, according to forecasts by the national meteorological service EMY."One more bout of inclement weather is coming that will mainly affect central and southern Greece," meteorologist Chryssoula Petrou told AMNA, noting that "the phenomena will intensify, from the west as of Saturday night, and extending to the south and east on Sunday". She warned that winds would reach gale-force velocities of up to 9 beaufort in the Aegean and Ionian, while Athens will be hit by the storm front at dawn Sunday to noon the same day, when the phenomena are expected to subside. The heaviest weather, however, is expected in central and southern Greece, the Peloponnese, the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. Snowfall is expected as of Saturday night on high ground in the central mainland and on lower ground in central Sterea and the Peloponnese. Improvement is expected to begin at noon Sunday in the west and spreading gradually to the rest of the areas by the end of the day. [04] Weather to turn inclement as of Saturday nightAMNA/ Weather conditions are expected to turn inclement in western, central and southern Greece, with heavy rain, storms, storm winds and snow on high ground beginning in the west as of Saturday night, according to forecasts by the national meteorological service EMY."One more bout of inclement weather is coming that will mainly affect central and southern Greece," meteorologist Chryssoula Petrou told AMNA, noting that "the phenomena will intensify, from the west as of Saturday night, and extending to the south and east on Sunday". She warned that winds would reach gale-force velocities of up to 9 beaufort in the Aegean and Ionian, while Athens will be hit by the storm front at dawn Sunday to noon the same day, when the phenomena are expected to subside. The heaviest weather, however, is expected in central and southern Greece, the Peloponnese, the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. Snowfall is expected as of Saturday night on high ground in the central mainland and on lower ground in central Sterea and the Peloponnese. Improvement is expected to begin at noon Sunday in the west and spreading gradually to the rest of the areas by the end of the day. [05] Weather to turn inclement as of Saturday nightAMNA/ Weather conditions are expected to turn inclement in western, central and southern Greece, with heavy rain, storms, storm winds and snow on high ground beginning in the west as of Saturday night, according to forecasts by the national meteorological service EMY."One more bout of inclement weather is coming that will mainly affect central and southern Greece," meteorologist Chryssoula Petrou told AMNA, noting that "the phenomena will intensify, from the west as of Saturday night, and extending to the south and east on Sunday". She warned that winds would reach gale-force velocities of up to 9 beaufort in the Aegean and Ionian, while Athens will be hit by the storm front at dawn Sunday to noon the same day, when the phenomena are expected to subside. The heaviest weather, however, is expected in central and southern Greece, the Peloponnese, the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. Snowfall is expected as of Saturday night on high ground in the central mainland and on lower ground in central Sterea and the Peloponnese. Improvement is expected to begin at noon Sunday in the west and spreading gradually to the rest of the areas by the end of the day. [06] FinMin: No layoffis in public sectorAMNA/ Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras on Friday said that there is no issue of layoffs in the public sector, following a governmental council on reform meeting at Maximos Mansion, government headquarters, in Athens.On his part, Administrative Reform and e-Governance Minister Antonis Manitakis pointed out that the government has met all its commitments. Friday's meeting focused on the final approval of evaluation reports for six government ministries - foreign affairs, interior, health, merchant marine & Aegean, tourism, and development, as well as the former general secretariat for press & mass media - suggesting changes in their structures and operation to reduce spending. Manitakis said that the second phase of the implementation of the reforms approved will be completed by next month and will include specific descriptions of job positions and jurisdiction. The heads of the European Commission (EC), European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) troika of Greece's international lenders will arrive in Athens on Saturday and will meet with Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras on Sunday at 10 a.m. The heads of the troika will depart from Athens on Sunday evening after meeting with other Greek ministers involved with the memorandum. A troika technical team has been in Athens for the past week, preparing the groundwork for the troika heads' visit. The current visit by the troika inspectors, which is expected to last just two weeks this time, is to draw up a progress report on which the decision for the disbursement of a 2.8 billion euro tranche of the EU/IMF bailout loan to Greece at end-March will be based. The inspection will focus on progress in the privatisations programme, the clampdown on tax evasion and on the reduction in the number of civil servants while a series of other memorandum's commitments of the country such as the banks' recapitalisation, are also expected to be discussed. [07] Greece to auction 26-week T-bills on TuesdayAMNA/ Greece will auction a 26-week Treasury bills issue on Tuesday, 5 March, seeking to raise 875 million euros from the market, the Public Debt Management Organization said on Friday.Settlement date of the issue will be Friday, 8 March. The organization said it will also accept non competitive bids at a cut-off price up to 30 pct of the asked sum. [08] Tendering for concession of PPC lignite, hydroelectric units to begin in Q3, deputy minister tells energy investments conferenceAMNA/ Tendering for the concession of Public Power Corporation (PPC) lignite and hydroelectric energy units will begin in the third quarter of 2013, Environment, Energy and Climate Change deputy minister Asimakis Papageorgiou announced on Friday, addressing a conference on "Investments in Energy and Sustainable Development 2013".The tenders are transitional measures so as to enable private electricity producers, competitors of the PPC, to acquire access to cheap power production sources, and to exclusive operate themselves natural gas and renewable energy sources units, he added. "The deregulation of the electricity market will be carried out with caution and with respect of the European Directives," he said. "In the past, mistakes and omissions created distortions and caused losses to investors and consumers. A healthy market is a necessary condition for the denationalisations programme," he added. Papageorgiou attacked those who oppose the denationalisations which, he said, will bring revenues, better services for the consumers, growth and new jobs, and spoke of "established interests". He further championed the exploitation of the country's mineral wealth and accused certain political forces of "supporting every move aimed at cancellation of the licensed investments". Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEA) president Costas Michalos, addressing the same conference, said that "the liberalisation of the energy market in Greece is a prime example of the offhand and patchwork way in which most of the structural changes were treated in the past two decades...a reform that was carried out almost flimsily, for the sole purpose of typically fulfilling obligations that arise from the European legislation...a half-reform and pretextual reform implemented without taking into consideration fundamental rules of the free market, without ensuring conditions conducive to attracting serious investors and the development of healthy initiatives". The Greek economy, he continued, "has need of a market that will enable a real function of competition, will attract serious investments and create jobs". In that context, he said, "we are awaiting with great interest the proposals of the relevant ministry for the new regulatory framework for the domestic electric energy market". Qatari interest in energy cooperation with Greece was reaffirmed by Qatar's former industry and energy minister Sheik Hamad ibn Jaber al Thani. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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