Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-08-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] Govt' to declare early elections on Sunday Sept. 16.

[02] Major wildfire in greater Athens area

[03] PASOK leader meets with Spanish FM

[01] Govt' to declare early elections on Sunday Sept. 16.

Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will convene an urgent Cabinet meeting at noon on Friday before the 1 p.m. meeting with President Karolos Papoulias.

"Before Greek citizens, in the crucial battle that will follow we will present our work, with calmness and arguments, far from the extremism of the past, with self-criticism and above all sincerity," Roussopoulos said.

[02] Major wildfire in greater Athens area

According to television reports throughout the afternoon, the blaze raged across a three-kilometre front on the Penteli mountain range (due north of the Greek capital) reaching and torching several residences high on the southern slopes of the mountain side - long defaced over past decades by quarries and construction.

High winds initially fanned the flames as scores of firefighters, fire engines and fire-fighting aircraft battled the blaze early on. The wildfire on Penteli was the second major fire to hit the mountains surrounding Athens this summer, with the devastating fire on Mt. Parnitha -- northwest of the city -- breaking out in late June. A less destructive blaze also erupted on the slopes of Mt. Hymmetus, east of Athens, days later in what was the beginning of a string of wildfires to plague much of Greece throughout July.

Towards the early afternoon, flames were coming close to some of Athens� most affluent neighbourhoods, including Kefalari and Politia. Additionally, hospitals and residences were evacuated in the wider region, while power outages were reported in the Vrillisia and Penteli townships due to downed power lines and burned poles.

A heavy reddish cloud, meanwhile, hung over Athens at around noontime, testament of the fire's extent.

Political reaction

In the wake of the latest wildfire, opposition party representatives commented on the incident, with a top PASOK deputy, Thanasis Tsouras, charging that various same-day government meetings were convened instead of action to deal with the issue of the day, namely, the wildfire.

On her part, Communist Party (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga toured parts of the burned area on Thursday afternoon, where she again referred to an ?organised plan? to burn forestland around Greece in order to benefit land developers, land grabbers, squatters and political interests in the country.

Finally, Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos) leader Alekos Alavanos announced that he was cutting short his ongoing tour of Crete to return to Athens and visit the fire-ravaged areas, while Synaspismos cadres also referred to a lack of prevention by state services.

Caption: A fire engine was among the casualties on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007, in the Nea Penteli district just north of Athens, as a wildfire ravaged the area. ANA-MPA / ORESTIS PANAGIOTOU.

[03] PASOK leader meets with Spanish FM

Replying to reporters' questions, as he arrived earlier at the PASOK headquarters in downtown Athens for the meeting, on whether he "sees" early general elections, Papandreou replied that "I see victory" for PASOK.

Caption: Papandreou (R) greets Spanish FM Miguel Angel Moratinos on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007. ANA-MPA / V. FILIS

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