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Tuesday, 26 November 2024 | ||
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-07-21Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Peloponnese town's mayor reacts to reports of N-plant in areaThe mayor of a town in the central Peloponnese that hosts a Public Power Corp. (PPC) thermo-electric plant, the Megalopolis station, on Tuesday expressed his municipality's opposition to the prospect of Greece's first potential nuclear power plant being constructed in the area.Megalopolis Mayor Panayiotis Bouras was reacting to a handful of local press reports claiming that PPC is considering the construction and operation of a nuclear power plant in Megalopolis, which lies in Arcadia prefecture. Bouras said the local community is also against the construction of a lignite-fired plant in the area, whereas it would back construction of a photo-voltaic park and the construction of a fifth natgas-fired PPC unit. [02] Gov't on dialogue with AnkaraGovernment spokesman Evangelos Antonaros on Tuesday merely underlined that the policy followed by Greece vis-a-vis relations with neighbouring Turkey is well known, and focuses on a "gradual normalisation that will lead to the complete normalisation of relations with Turkey as achieved with most of our neighbouring countries."Antonaros reminded of an amicable pact reached with neighbouring Albania regarding the continental shelf in the Ionian Sea, adding that this policy is exercised without yielding ground on national interests. Referring to Turkey, Antonaros stressed that it should behave showing respect to the European principles and values considering that it has chosen a European orientation. [03] Black Sea Bank offers 20-mln-euro loan to Romanian power utilityThe Black Sea Commerce and Development Bank on Tuesday announced a secured business loan, worth 20 million euros, to SC Electrocentrale Turceni, Romania's state electricity company.The loan will finance an environmental protection and modernisation project in Turceni energy station, Romania's largest. The project, budgeted at 170 million euros, is coordinated by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development with the participation of commercial banks. [04] Papoulias with Cypriot studentsGreek President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias met with University of Cyprus students at the presidential mansion on Tuesday and underlined that they "imbued him with additional courage on a grim anniversary," pointing out that "hopefully a day will come when there will be no occupation army on the Republic of Cyprus.""There is no greater insult to human rights than the presence of an occupation army in an EU member-state," he stressed, adding that "I, as a European citizen, cannot accept it. There are certain Europeans who can, but I believe that we will manage to win them over too." "We have never excluded anyone," he said, adding that "we do not exclude anyone now as well", clarifying that this is also the policy shared by Cyprus President Demetris Christofias. The university rector accompanying the students presented Papoulias with the medal of the University of Cyprus and a representative of the students offered him a commemorative plaque. Earlier, he received a delegation of mayors of municipalities in the occupied northern part of the island. Caption: President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias (R) receives the rector of the University of Cyprus, Stavros Zenios (2L), at the presidential mansion in Athens on Tuesday, July 21, 2009. ANA-MPA / M. KIAOY. [05] Overnight stays up in '08Overnight stays in Greek hotels and camping grounds grew by 0.31 pct in 2008, the National Statistical Service announced on Tuesday.In an annual report, the statistics agency said customer arrivals fell 0.15 pct in the year, compared with 2007, while it said that domestic customers' overnight stays rose 1.8 pct, while foreign customers fell 0.22 pct in the same period. Tourist arrivals in Greek hotels and camp sites fell 0.75 pct (foreign) and rose by 0.61 pct (domestic), while hotel room occupancy rates eased to 56.7 pct in 2008, down from 57 pct in 2007. The statistics agency said 70 pct of customer arrivals and 81 pct of overnight stays were on Crete, the southern Aegean region, central Macedonia, the Ionian islands and Attica prefecture (the greater Athens area). The Ionian islands (70 pct), Crete (69.9 pct) and southern Aegean (68.4 pct) -- all tourism-heavy regions, recorded the highest room occupancy rates in the year. Caption: A stunning view of the Cyclades island of Ios' famed Mylopotas beach, dated Sept. 2, 2007. ANA-MPA / PANTELIS SAITAS. [06] Stocks end slightly lowerGreek stocks ended slightly lower in the Athens Stock Exchange on Tuesday as investors took profits after a several-day rally of the market. The composite index eased 0.19 pct to end at 2,271.07 points, with turnover at 185.8 million euros, of which 8.1 million euros were block trades.Sector indices ended mixed, with the Health (4.84 pct), Media (4.53 pct) and Financial Services (3.46 pct) scoring the biggest percentage gains of the day, while Travel (2.21 pct), Banks (0.83 pct) and Oil (0.69 pct) suffered losses. The FTSE 20 index eased 0.46 pct, the FTSE 40 index ended 1.59 pct higher and the FTSE 80 index rose 1.55 pct. Broadly, advancers led decliners by 138 to 72 with another 40 issues unchanged. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |