Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-12-05

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Doctor abducted in Vari

[02] Parthenon restoration completed

[03] ASE opening: Decline

[04] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Doctor abducted in Vari

According to police two unknown men broke into the doctor's home at 3:00 a.m., tied up and gagged his wife and two children (a boy and a girl), and after searching the house made off with money, jewelry and other valuables, taking the family's two cars and the cardiologist with them.

The wife managed to loosen her bonds about an hour later and immediately alerted her brother and the police.

One of the two cars was found later by police in the Ekali residential district, burned, but with no trace of the abductors or the doctor.

The motives of the abduction are as yet unknown, as the kidnappers have not contacted the family or the authorities.

[02] Parthenon restoration completed

As is the case with the other monuments of the Acropolis, parts of the Facade monument were dismantled to enable the removal of rusty metal connections, as well as cement left from previous restoration work, and will be restored with titanium.

"Our aim is to restore the initial structural function of the monument and its initial dimensions," said architect Tasos Tanoulas, who is in charge of the Facade work crew.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of the Parthenon

[03] ASE opening: Decline

Individual sector indices were moving mostly downward, with the biggest losses in Industrial Products, down 2.27 percent; Banks, down 2.26 percent; and Raw Materials, down 1.60 percent.

The biggest gains were in Food & Beverage, up 0.44 percent; Commerce, up 0.39 percent; Public Utilities, up 2.44 percent; and Personal & Household Goods, up 0.18 percent.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was down 1.73 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was down 0.74 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was down 0.19 percent.

Of the stocks moved, 14 were up, 44 were down, and 23 were unchanged.

[04] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Former minister of state Theodoros Roussopoulos' testimony before the parliamentary fact-finding commission on the Vatopedi monastery land exchanges affair, the political climate, and the European Central Bank's trimming of its benchmark rate by 0.75 percent to 2.5 percent were the main front-page items in Friday's dailies.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "PASOK had opened the door for the 4-day work week (which was proposed earlier in the week by Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry-EBEA president Constantine Michalos, with a corresponding salary reduction, but rejected by the government) with the Simitis (former PASOK prime minister) law of 1998".

APOGEVMATINI: "End to (eventual) tenured status for public sector contract employees - European Court recommendation a 'bomb' for the public sector".

AVGHI: "Something new being born in the Thessaly plain - Independent moves by farmers in Thessaly".

AVRIANI: "Deep-rooted changes in the government and counter-attack on all fronts being prepared by Karamanlis".

CHORA: "Roussopoulos' testimony to the fact-finding commission on the Vatopedi affair - He claimed ignorance of the affair and no responsibility".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Suspicious moves even just ahead of Christmas - 'Sacred' orgy with 'suitcases' and remittances - Bank of Greece report on the movements of Vatopedi Monasterys accounts, submitted to the fact-finding commission on Thursday, burn abbot Ephraim and his cronies".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Operation 'escape' - Karamanlis, with minor benefits, will attempt to change the agenda today" during the Hour of the Prime Minister in parliament.

ESTIA: "The attitude of some members of the fact-finding commission denigrates parliament".

ETHNOS: "Metron opinion poll: PASOK leap - 5.5 percent lead over ND".

KATHIMERINI: "The signs of the crisis intensifying - 33 percent decline in car sales".

LOGOS: "Roussopoulos denied any responsibility: He was not the target of pressure, he did not exert pressure".

NIKI: "The Vatopedi pilgrim - Theodoros (Roussopoulos, a frequent visitor to the monastery and abbot Ephraim) had heard nothing about the scandal".

PARASKEVI+13: "The prime minister looks the dauphins in the eyes - 'Karamanlis re-election' (to the party leadership) - Extraordinary ND Congress on the horizon".

PARASKINIO: "Explosive letter - PASOK submerged 'up to the neck' in the Vatopedi scandal".

RIZOSPASTIS: "PASOK, with the backing of GSEE (General Confederation of workers of Greece) legislated the EBEA's demands (for shortening the work-week to 3-4 days with a corresponding cut in salaries) from ND".

SFINA: "Karamanlis took the wind out of the dauphins (hopefulls for the party leadership)".

TA NEA: "5.5 percent 'crash' in ND due to economy, Ephraim - Opinion poll sees self-sufficient PASOK government".

TO VIMA: "The latest opinion polls indicate PASOK self-sufficient government - Metron poll indicates 5.5 percent lead over ND".

VRADYNI: "Recognition of degrees of Liberal Studies Colleges (EES) - New ruling by European Court".

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article