Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 12-05-31

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papariga: Measures to protect the unemployed

[02] Tsipras asks for clear first place in elections

[03] The Thursday edition of Athens' dailies

[04] Athens Stock Exchange opening: Small rise

[05] Rubens masterpiece to be returned to Belgium

[01] Papariga: Measures to protect the unemployed

Among the protection measures she proposed are payment by the unemployed of 30 percent of the social service bills such as electricity, water and telephone services, free cards for public transport, suspension of payments on loans without penalty interest upon resumption of repayment installments, and prohibition of foreclosures for debts.amna

Papariga charged that the political parties saying that Greece must remain in the EU and the euro at all costs are at the same time "trafficking in hope, at the expense of 1.2 million unemployed, with the aim of grabbing votes, when the only thing they promise is a minor increase of the unemployment benefit".amna

"We don't consider an increase in the unemployment benefit the only measure that can be taken," she said, and anticipated that "the number of unemployed will rise given that every day small shops are going out of business daily, farmers are stopping production, and the first condition for the privatisations is a reduction of the personnel".

[02] Tsipras asks for clear first place in elections

Tsipras said that in the elections the "forces of yesterday are clashing with the forces of tomorrow, the forces of disaster and of fear with the forces of creation and of hope."

The SYRIZA leader called for a "clear first place" from the Greek people so that a government of the left can be formed and as he said "a step separates the dream from reality."

[03] The Thursday edition of Athens' dailies

European Commission warnings to Greece to implement reforms and the political parties' campaign ahead of the June 17 elections, mostly dominated the headlines on Thursday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "All disability pensions issued from 2010 onwards suspended until medical re-evaluation".

AVGHI: "European Commission demands Memorandum government".

AVRIANI: "They removed the hoods from former prime minister Lucas Papademos and National Bank of Greece CEO Apostolos Tamvakakis".

DIMOKRATIA: "Alexis' (Tsipras, SYRIZA leader) soviets".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "'Hispanic' (play on words with Titanic) in eurozone - Europe accuses Greece but Spain is going bankrupt...".

ESTIA: "The way out of the crisis - Immediate restoration of the climate of confidence".

ETHNOS: "Fifty noted international personalities send SOS message on Greece".

IMERISSIA: "New message from EU: No support without reforms".

KATHIMERINI: "Greece's economy led to isolation".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "Turbulence in Europe with scenarios for Spain".

RIZOSPASTIS: "People-oriented development and remaining in the EU are incompatible".

TA NEA: "Light eurobond with German recipe".

TO PONTIKI: "Reversal wager - SYRIZA a breath away from first place".

[04] Athens Stock Exchange opening: Small rise

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was up 0.53 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was down 0.18 percent.

Individual sector indices were moving upward, with the biggest gains in Commerce, up 1.68 percent and Health, up 0.92 percent.amna

The heaviest losses were in Personal and Household Products, down 1.99 percent and Oil and Gas, down 1.91 percent.

Of the stocks traded, 21 were up, 23 were down, and 8 were unchanged.

[05] Rubens masterpiece to be returned to Belgium

The 1618 oil sketch (28 x 52 cm) was stolen in 2001 from the Ghent Museum of Fine Arts and was recovered by police on Sept. 1, 2011 in an Athens seaside suburb.

Two people, a former antique store owner and a female TV presenter, who attempted to sell the oil sketch to undercover police for 6 million euros, were arrested on money-laundering charges after the painting was found in the trunk of their car. The pair was not involved in the original heist.amna

The painting depicts one of the most popular themes for the 17th century aristocracy and was bought in London in 1898 by the Belgian museum for 250,000 GBP. amna

Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) was a prolific 17th century Flemish Baroque painter and proponent of an exuberant Baroque style emphasising color, movement and sensuality, and is known for his Counter-Reformation altarpieces, portraits, landscapes and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects.

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