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Tuesday, 26 November 2024
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-05-22Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Protest follows claim that police tore paper with religious versesRoughly 1,500 protesters, reportedly Muslim guest workers and immigrants, demonstrated in front of Parliament in downtown Athens on Friday afternoon in the wake of an Iraqi man's claims that a police officer tore a piece of paper he was carrying featuring religious verses in Arabic.Protesters at first threw objects at riot police, while several bus stops were damaged on the route of the protest, with police responding with tear gas and "flash-bang" grenades. The Iraqi man's allegation a day earlier -- which allegedly occurred during a routine check in a central Athens neighbourhood hosting a large number of foreign nationals -- generated an initial impromptu protest outside a police station in the Athens district of Aghios Panteleimonas. The inflammatory claim was apparently spread by word of mouth in the same urban district within hours. A later announcement by police headquarters said the incident will be thoroughly investigated. �ne man was arrested in central Athens late Thursday evening following the rally by several hundred people outside the precinct, with demonstrators mostly identified as Afghan nationals. The suspect, a Syrian national (previously identified as an Afghan), was arrested after allegedly throwing a firebomb near the Aghios Panteleimonas police station, which is based in a neighbourhood that has recently garnered heightened local media coverage due to increased crime and local residents' charges of the presence of criminal gangs comprised of illegal immigrants and economic migrants. Another five arrests, apparently unrelated, were reported overnight in the same vicinity involving foreign nationals. [02] Fish species from Hungary eyed for Ioannina lake eco protectionHungarian ambassador to Greece Jozsef Toth this week paid a two-day visit to Ioannina, in northwest Greece, within the framework of a project by Ioannina's Lake Management Authority and the Pannon University of Keszthely in Hungary for the protection and clean-up of Lake Pamvotida, the city's eponymous lake.Hungarian lake experts from the university contributed to the establishment of a hatchery for a specific breed of fish found in Hungarian lakes, which are expected to combat the green algae in Ioannina's lake. Amb. Toth has also met with Ioannina Mayor Nikolaos Gontas and local officials and discussed new opportunities for cooperation between the NW Greek municipality, the University of Ioannina and the University of Keszthely. [03] Vivartia Group reports improved Q1 resultsVivartia Group on Friday reported improved first quarter results, with consolidated sales rising 15.9 pct to 335.9 million euros, up from 289.7 million euros in the corresponding period last year, reflecting the integration of Everest and Nonni's in the group.Consolidated pre-tax, interest and amortisation earnings (EBITDA) totaled 29.3 million euros in the January-March period, from 28.5 million euros last year, for an increase of 2.9 pct, while consolidated after tax and minorities earnings rose 4.3 pct to 1.315 million euros. Spyros Theodoropoulos, chief executive of the group, commenting on the results, said first quarter results were in line with budget provisions paving the way for achieving goals set by a five-year business plan. [04] Higher '09 sales, lower profitsGreek enterprises reported mixed 2008 results, with sales rising and profits falling because of high operating costs, an ICAP survey said on Friday. The survey conducted on the published balance sheets of 4,000 Greek enterprises, showed that sales grew 11 pct to 8.1 billion euros, compared with 2007, while EBITDA fell by 15 pct to 1.4 billion euros and net pre-tax profits fell 43 pct to 3.0 billion euros.ICAP said this development reflected increased product costs and higher administration and distribution spending. The manufacturing sector suffered the biggest percentage decline in earnings (-14 pct), with pre-tax, interest and amortization earnings (EBITDA) falling by 30 pct and net pre-tax profits falling by 57 pct in 2008. The 893 manufacturing enterprises included in the survey reported a 19.1 pct rise in costs and gross profit margin of 20.9 pct. A total 1,713 enterprises in the commerce sector were included in the survey, with sales rising 8.3 pct and gross profit margin falling by 2.8 pct last year. EBITDA fell by 250 million euros compared with 2007, to 1.23 billion euros. A total of 1,317 enterprises in the services sector reported a 7.0 pct rise in sales with a 10.4 pct decline in gross profit margin to 30.5 pct, while EBITDA fell 7.8 pct last year. Tourism enterprises reported a 9.1 pct rise in sales last year, but gross profit margin fell by 8.7 pct. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo [05] Stocks end 1.29 pct higherGreek stocks ended higher the last trading session of the week in the Athens Stock Exchange. The composite index of the market rose 1.29 pct to end at 2,280.15 points, with turnover a strong 301.1 million euros, of which 129.1 million were block trades.Most sectors moved upwards, with the Insurance (5.90 pct), Food/Beverage (3.74 pct), Personal/Home Products (2.40 pct) and Travel (2.08 pct) scoring the biggest percentage gains of the day, while Telecommunications (1.06 pct) and Commerce (0.13 pct) suffered losses. The FTSE 20 index ended 1.31 pct higher, the FTSE 40 index rose 0.90 pct and the FTSE 80 index ended 0.17 pct up. Broadly, advancers led decliners by 151 to 79 with another 42 issues unchanged. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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