The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 09-08-05

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Long Road to Recovery

Last Updated on Wednesday, 05 August 2009 21:29

US vice-president Joe Biden sees encouraging signs of recovery in US economy. After his meeting with White House economic advisors that several sectors are indicating stabilization signs. Road to recovery, however, appears to be long while news is bad on the other side of the Atlantic. In Britain, Lloyds Banking Group announced huge losses as failure to pay loans reached record highs in the first half in 2009.

Toxic mortgage loans turned sour for the British bank giant which announced losses mounting to 4 billion pounds in the first half in 2009.

Lloyds had asked liquidity injection from the British government after the takeover of ÇÂÏS, the biggest company granting mortgage loans. It is indicative that 80% of combined losses from bad loans mounting to 15 billionpounds alst year came from ÇÂÏS.

Although 43% of its shareholders capital belongs to the British state, Lloyds has cut down over 8.800 job positions this year.

On the other side of the Atlantic, US vice president Joe Biden sent a message of optimism after his meeting with White House advisors.

Road to recovery, however, appears to be long : Individual income dropped 1.3% in June in the US, recording the biggest drop in 4 years and sending a sound message that it would take time for consumption expenditures to recover.

Drop in consumption expenditures was also recorded in Germany where beer sales dropped to a record low in the last years as the financial crisis, rise in beer taxes and ban on smoking have placed at risk a centuries' long tradition.

Source: ÍÅÔ

News item: 25520

[02] Metro Airport Service at the End of August

Metro test services to Airport are to start after August, 15 while regular services with the addition of Nomismatokopeio Station are expected to start at the end of August. In parallel, works for Metro extension lines to Anthoupolis, Haidari and Hellinikon are about to finish. The addition of the new destinations will serve another 250. 000 passengers.

After a 6-month suspension of services , Metro Airport line restarts operation with the addition of the Nomismatokopeio Station. The new station, which opens at the end of August, has a 630 space car park and will serve about 30.000 commuters daily. The Holargos station will be ready at the end of the year and the Agia Paraskevi station in spring 2010.

In the meantime, construction crews are working feverishly to complete Metro extensions to Anthoupolis and Haidari till the end of December. The Metro extension from Agios Demetrios to Hellenicon is planned to start operating in spring 2010.

A total of ten new Metro stations is expected to be completed in the next months which will increase number of daily passengers to 900.000 from the present 650.000.

News item: 25516

[03] Concern about the Two Scouts

Still in serious condition are two under-age scouts, a boy and a girl, who were injured along with 9 other scouts and two companions. They are hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Heraklio Children Hospital. They were struck by a private car while standing at the bus stop in Ierapetra on the island of Crete waiting to take a bus. The health state of the third seriously injured 11-year old scout is improving. He was transferred from the intensive care unit to the surgery department.

The health of all other boy and girl scouts injured is improving while Lasithi Prefect Sifis Anastasakis visited the three hospitals they were transferred to and was briefed on their health state.

The 20 year old driver, Albanian national who lost control of the car, appeared before the public prosecutor. He was freed till test results came out to see whether he was driving under the influence of alcohol.

News item: 25514

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