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Tuesday, 26 November 2024 | ||
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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-01-25Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Protesting farmers block border crossing with Bulgaria, set up new road blocksFarmers in central and western parts of the Macedonia province in northern Greece abruptly escalated their protest actions on Monday, with a decision to indefinitely block the Promachonas border crossing with Bulgaria with their tractors. In the meantime, more farmers continued arriving and new road blockades sprung up at the Kouloura junction on the Egnatia motorway, in addition to a road block at the Kerdyllia junction that sprung up last week.Farmers and livestock breeders at Halkidona and Giannitsa jointed forces to form a new road blockade on the Axios Bridge in west Thessaloniki, made up of more than 1,300 tractors and heavy farm machinery. New roadblocks also appeared at Paleokomi in Serres, Deskati in Grevena and Gomati in Ierrisos Halkidiki, while the number in Pella rose to three, at Arnisa, Mavrovouni and Mesimeri. Further south, the mood remained equally militant and the seven gatherings of tractors in Fthiotida prefecture proceeded to block traffic in intervals throughout the day, for one or two hours at a time. The national highway from Athens to Thessaloniki was closed in both directions for over an hour at the Anthili area, with cars diverted onto side roads and the local road network. At Atalanti, farmers only blocked access in the lane from Lamia to Athens, while elsewhere they blocked the old national highway, trapping trucks that were unable to get through to continue their journey. A road bloc at two points on the Lamia-Domokos road to Karditsa and Trikala caused bedlam and huge delays, forcing traffic onto minor roads, while farmers bloced both lanes at the 110th kilometre of the national highway through Viotia for two hours. [02] ND leader Mitsotakis received by Cyprus President Anastasiades in NicosiaNICOSIA (ANA-MPA/ A. Viketos) -- Developments in the Cyprus issue, regional matters and the island republic's imminent exit from the memorandums dominated a meeting here between Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and the new leader of Greece's main opposition New Democracy party, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on Monday.Anastasiades briefed ND's new leader on his meetings at Davos with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci. Afterward, Mitsotakis stressed ND's solid support for the efforts of the Cypriot people and their president to achieve a just and viable solution to the Cyprus issue. [03] Fyrom FM: Skopje to take action on refugee flows 'in step' with northern EU countriesSKOPJE (ANA-MPA/ N. Frangopoulos) -- The foreign minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM) on Monday said his country does not wish to close its borders with Greece in order to stop refugee and migrant flows but will "do whatever is necessary" to resolve the crisis if EU countries to the north impose more stringent controls.FYRoM FM Nikola Poposki said the Skopje government was coordinating its actions in step with action taken by EU countries, such as the decision to distinguish between third country nationals attempting to enter as migrants and war refugees last November, or recent requirements that a refugee's destination country be listed in documents. The country's authorities have recorded 41,227 refugee arrivals from Greece since the start of the year. [04] History of Hagia Sophia at Hellenic Cosmos VR 'Tholos' TheatreThe 1,500-year-old history of Hagia Sophia, an iconic world cultural heritage site and the most spectacular Orthodox cathedral in eastern Christendom for a millennium, is explored in a new 45-minute screening on show at the Hellenic Cosmos Culture Centre's dome-shaped Virtual Reality Theatre, or 'Tholos', in Athens.The interactive presentation charts the cathedral's history from the 6th century, in January 532, when Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian commissioned the temple from the architects Anthemios and Isidorus, and weaves in elements of subsequent Byzantine history and culture. Among others, it explores the challenges faced by the architects in carrying out their ground-breaking and ambitious construction, the problems they had to overcome and also explores the intricate decorations of the interior. Details on the days and hours of screenings are available at the website www.hellenic-cosmos.gr [05] BoG Gov. calls for urgent completion of 1st review of econ�mic programmeA successful completion of the first review of the Greek economic adjustment programme was of crucial importance, as it would signal the beginning of talks with Greece's partners on action to further restructure the country's public debt, while at the same time it will be the key to restoring confidence and the return of deposits to the banking system, Bank of Greece governor Yannis Stournaras emphasized on Monday.Addressing an American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce conference, the Greek central banker warned that the urgent completion of the first review was imperative, as risks have risen in the global economy. In the framework of increased risks and uncertainties for the course of the global economy, a potential failure to complete the first review would be destabilising as it would lead to a retreat of confidence, deteriorating financial conditions and a bigger recession. Stournaras said that the Greek economy has the ability and prospect to return to positive growth rates this year, despite rising international risks and uncertainties and despite a carry-over from a negative effect of 2015. He stressed, however, that this would depend on implementing commitments undertaken by the Greek government in the framework of the new programme and a completion of the first review. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |