Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-09-14

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Sports roundup -- Panathinaikos ahead of standings; AEK falters

[02] Weather Monday -- Mostly Sunny

[03] Moderate quake recorded in SE Aegean

[04] Keynote Karamanlis address outlines ND policies, directions

[05] Memorial service in Nicosia for late alternate FM Kranidiotis

[01] Sports roundup -- Panathinaikos ahead of standings; AEK falters

Panathinaikos Athens moved ahead of its cross-town rivals over the weekend by beating lowly Kallithea Athens 3-1 at home, at the same time as AEK Athens failed to edge out a tough Iraklis Thessaloniki side away, whereas last years champion, Olympiakos Piraeus, was stunned by Proodeftiki Piraeus 1-0.

Panathinaikos moved to the top of the standings after the third week of action and only days before it travels to ?Old Trafford? to face Manchester United in Champions League play on Tuesday in Group E.

The 1-0 defeat of a listless Olympiakos side on Saturday followed an 89th minute goal by Proodeftiki, one of several clubs expected to struggle to avoid relegation this season. Olympiakos faces Real Sociedad away on Wednesday in Group D.

AEK couldnt keep a one-goal lead on two occasions against Iraklis, even when the latter side was left with 10 players in the 68th minute. The game ended in a 2-2 tie, with AEK leaving two precious points on the pitch and a share of the first divisions penthouse. AEK hosts La Coruna in Athens on Wednesday for Group C Champions League play.

In other action:

Paniliakos-Aris Thessaloniki, 0-0

Halkidona Piraeus-Xanthi, 2-0

Akratitos Athens-PAOK Thessaloniki, 1-2

Panionios Athens-OFI Crete, 1-1

Aegaleo Piraeus-Ionikos Piraeus, 2-0

The standings after three games:

Panathinaikos 9

AEK 7

Olympiakos 6

PAOK 6

Iraklis 5

Panionios 5

Proodeftiki 4

Aris 4

Paniliakos 4

Halkidona 4

Ionikos 3

Aegaleo 3

Akratitos 3

Kallithea 1

Xanthi 1

OFI 1

[02] Weather Monday -- Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny in Greece on Monday, with partly cloudy skies in the west. North to northeasterly winds, moderate to gusty on the seas. Temperatures between 12C to 25C in the north; 15C to 28C elsewhere on the mainland and 20C to 29C on the islands.

Sunny in Athens, 18C to 28C. The same for Thessaloniki, 14C to 25C.

[03] Moderate quake recorded in SE Aegean

An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale was recorded at 4:46 p.m. (local time) northeast of the large island of Crete.

The quakes epicenter was located in a sea region some 300 kilometres southeast of Athens, and west of the Dodecanese island of Kos.

No damages or injuries were reported.

[04] Keynote Karamanlis address outlines ND policies, directions

Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis on Saturday stressed that a 30-year cycle in Greece is coming to an end, with the upcoming period characterised by new collective and individual demands for more prosperity.

Karamanlis spoke during the last weekend of the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) in the eponymous northern Greece port city, exactly one week after the customary state-of-the-nation speech by the prime minister inaugurating the largest trade exhibition in Greece.

Less than a year before the next general elections in the Greece, the main opposition leader outlined his partys economic and social targets, while repeatedly stressing that ?new governance? is needed in practically every aspects of the countrys daily life a political blueprint he termed as ?Prospect 2010?.

Speaking to a crowd that included most of the areas top political, business and labour leaders, Karamanlis said NDs goal is for development and prosperity everywhere in the country.

In a reply from the same podium to remarks by PM Costas Simitis a week earlier, who cited an upcoming four-year period of ?high risk?, Karamanlis first focused on next years Olympic Games in Athens, saying that ?we believe that despite the delays and skyrocketing costs, we can host the best Games ever.?

As far as national issues are concerned, the ND leader reiterated his partys positions over defence and foreign policy, saying the goal is to reduce defence spending in favour of social funding and a more robust social state.

?We Greeks strive for peace and cooperation with our neighbours, and we demand respect for International Law."

[05] Memorial service in Nicosia for late alternate FM Kranidiotis

NICOSIA (ANA) -- A memorial service was held for former Greek alternate foreign minister Yannos Kranidiotis on Sunday in a Nicosia cathedral, with representatives of the Greek government as well as the two parties where he was a distinguished cadre PASOK and Cyprus EDEK on hand.

In his brief address, Deputy FM Yiannis Magriotis referred to the tremendous loss for Greeces from Kranidiotis death in September 1999.

Kranidiotis and five other people, including his only son, died in a freak mid-air mishap aboard a Greek government executive jet in September 1999 while en route to Bucharest for an official meeting.

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