[01] Greek-owned freighter seized by pirates in Gulf of Aden

According to early information, the St. Vincent-flagged freighter "Titan", belonging to the Albamare City shipping company, was seized by pirates off the Somali coast on Thursday night in the Gulf of Aden as it was transporting a cargo of steel from the Black Sea to Korea. The vessel's 24-member crew includes three officers: the captain, first mate and first engineer.

The Ministry's Operations Center was in constant contact and cooperation with the Operations Center in Kuala Lumpur.

The vessel was headed towards the Somali coast late Thursday night.

[02] Bomb explosion in Athens

The building where the explosion occurred houses the Hellenic Public Real Estate Corporation (KED).

The home-made bomb, which was placed next to the KED entrance, caused damage to the building's entrance and a car parked outside, while it also shattered windows of surrounding shops and apartment buildings.

Security police and counter-terrorism squad bomb-disposal experts rushed to the site.

A strong smell of natural gas that followed the explosion was found to be due to the fact that the lid of a natural gas pipe had been blown off by the explosion, while the bomb-disposal experts clarified that there had been no explosion of natural gas.

Counter-terrorism squad officials consider likely that the mechanism was triggered by remote control, given the fact that although no warning call had preceded the explosion, there were no passersby at the time of the explosion and therefore no injuries.

According to police, the building is guarded by a private security company, and there was security personnel in the building at the time of the explosion.

Caption: Police cordon off Hellenic Public Real Estate Corporation surrounding area after a bomb explosion on Thursday 19 March 2009.ANA-MPA/ KATERINA MAVRONA

[03] ASE opening: Decline

Individual sector indices were moving mostly downward, with the biggest losses in Banks, down 1.52 percent; Construction, down 0.82 percent; and Raw Materials, down 0.71 percent.

The biggest gains were in Financial Services, up 1.40 percent; Insurance, up 1.01 percent; and Chemicals, up 0.90 percent.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was down 0.68 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was down 0.29 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was down 0.09 percent.

Of the stocks moved, 29 were up, 46 were down, and 22 were unchanged.

[04] Hatzidakis on energy policy

He also referred to projects that "confirm Greece's extroversial energy policy", mentioning Greece-Turkey-Italy's (ITGI) natural gas pipeline which would transfer natural gas from the Caspian region to Western Europe. He added that opting for the ITGI pipeline instead of the Nabucco pipeline had to do only with the fact that the former has completed half of its construction and in that sense it would be completed faster. "The pipeline's section connecting Turkey and Greece is functioning, while we are working hard for its extension to Italy within the timeframes agreed," the minister said.

He also referred to the Greek-Russian agreement regarding the broader South Stream energy project involving the annual transfer of 31 billion cubic metres of natural gas to European markets.

Caption: ANA-MPA/EPA SERGEY DOLZHENKO/ file photo

[05] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The EU Summit focusing on immediate measures to combat the global financial crisis and a bomb explosion Thursday night outside the Public Real Estate Corporation (KED) in downtown Athens dominated the headlines on Friday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "University entry exams will begin on 15 May because of the Euroelections".

APOGEVMATINI: "Education Ministry announced on Thursday the number of entrants in University".

AVGHI: "50,000 enterprises saved 9.1 billion euros in taxes due to the government's policy".

AVRIANI: "Enviroment and Town Planning Minister George Souflias announced structural reforms in government".

CHORA: "Europe a volcano - The recession provokes social outbursts".

ELEFTHEROS: "Souflias' manifesto to Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Ministers - The reforms he proposes for the government structure".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Powerful bomb explosion outside the Public Real Estate Corporation".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Outcry - Massive reactions over the government's measures - The tax evaders remain unaffected".

ESTIA: "The extraordinary tax has side-effects - The basic taxation principles are being violated".

ETHNOS: "The.... 'minus' for the salaried and pensioners - Who will lose and how much from the freeze on incomes".

KATHIMERINI: "The new bomb intensifies the discomfort - Blind strike at KED".

LOGOS: "Karamnalis' difficult mission .....in Brussels".

NIKI: "Government milking the Greeks dry - It's preparing new tax measures after the salaries freeze".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Devitalisation of EU in order for the people to have the power - New antisocial attack from EU's Spring Summit".

TA NEA: "Recprd number of University entrants to the backdrop of speculation of early elections".

TO VIMA: "Wave of intense reactions against the one-sided fiscal measures".

VRADYNI: "970 new University entrants' positions".

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