Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-03-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] Olympic Flame handed over to Beijing

[02] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Olympic Flame handed over to Beijing

Pigi Devetzi, Greece's silver Olympic medallist in the long jump, was the last runner to bring a torch carrying the flame into the U-shaped marble-covered stadium.

Earlier, torch-bearers brought the flame from atop the Acropolis to the stadium as a crowd that included numerous Chinese officials and tourists awaited under a sunny Athenian sky.

Caption: Greece's Olympic silver medallist in the long jump, Pigi Devetzi, lights an altar at Athens' Panathinaiko Stadium with a torch bearing the Olympic flame, Sunday, 30 March, 2008, during a handover ceremony at the site of the first modern Games in 1896. The flame was later passed on to Beijing 2008 Olympic Games officials via another torch. ANA-MPA / SIMELA PANTZARTZI.

[02] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Political issues in the wake of an unsuccessful motion to censure vote in Parliament, tabled by the main opposition, and mostly press speculation ahead of this week's NATO summit in Bucharest regarding the nagging "name issue" with FYROM dominated the headlines in Athens' dailies on Sunday.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Apartments for military personnel. Housing programme by defence ministry"

APOGEVMATINI: "Unemployment benefits to contract workers and self-employed professionals"

ARTHRO: "OTE union reactions only for show", a headline that accompanies an interview by Marfin Investment Group (MIG) chief Andreas Bgenopoulos, who dismissed criticism of his group's sale of OTE stock (roughly 20 percent) to Deutsche Telekom.

AVGI: "Society's censure. Citizens express their opposition"

AVRIANI: "(PM Costas) Karamanlis planning early elections for October"

CHORA: "Pension reform for armed forces (funds) as well" ELEFTHERI ORA: "Government to win or lose with 'name issue' "

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Three-day thriller for either an agreement or veto (on 'name issue')"

EPOCHI: �Numerous forms of pressure � but SYRIZA still aiming for second-place", headlines the leftist weekly, in highlighting several recent opinion polls, which show a doubling of the leftist grouping's (SYRIZA) support".

ETHNOS: "Americans (namely, the US administration) blackmailing for Greek retreat (on 'name issue')" is the paper's front-page headline.

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "NATO trap in Bucharest"

KATHIMERINI: "Reverse countdown for veto"

LOGOS: "More social security reform to follow social security reform"

NIKI: "Karamanlis' image collapsing"

PARON: "Veto or else we commit (political) suicide. Crucial week for Greece"

PROTO THEMA: "Karamanlis associate voted in favor of Turks", a headline referring to a recent European Court decision.

RIZOSPASTIS: "Call to the people to radically change the (political, economic) situation. Announcement by KKE central committee," is the headline bannered by the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE).

VIMA: "Zapatero plan will save ruling New Democracy party," a headline borrowing the name of the Spanish premier for a "secret" social reform package that the paper says will be unveiled by the government to neutralise the opposition.

VRADYNI: "Pay hikes in public sector, pensions by 4.5 percent"

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