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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 14-02-03

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Monday, 3 February 2014 Issue No: 4576

CONTENTS

  • [01] European Parliament elections on May 25, minister tells Vima newspaper
  • [02] Berlin willing to offer 'extensive concessions' to Athens, Der Spiegel says
  • [03] Gov't taking into consideration farmers' issues, Agriculture minister says at major fair
  • [04] Communist Party expresses support to farmers
  • [05] Deputy Dev't minister meets with British officials in London
  • [06] FM Venizelos to meet with TAP construction consortium chief on Monday
  • [07] FM Venizelos to participate in Europarliament plenary in Strasbourg on Feb 4-5
  • [08] Development and Health ministers to jointly discuss non-prescription issue with the troika
  • [09] SYRIZA's Central Committee ratifies Tsipras's proposals on local election candidates
  • [10] SYRIZA leader's speech to Central Committee focuses on criticism of premier, gov't
  • [11] Gov't spokesman responds to SYRIZA leader
  • [12] PASOK response to SYRIZA leader's speech
  • [13] Gov't will not complete its office term, Communist Party leader says
  • [14] KKE sec'y general to speak on elections at party's Central Committee meeting Monday
  • [15] Europe's communist and labor parties approve Common Declaration
  • [16] Jacques Delors: 'I do not regret Greece's entry into eurozone', but delay would have helped
  • [17] Wages and pensions to 1,500 euros not subject to seizure, minister tells newspaper
  • [18] Alpha Bank estimates 2013 tourist arrivals exceeded 18 million
  • [19] General Secretariat for Consumers imposed 4,874 mln euros of fines in 2013
  • [20] Thessaloniki-Athens train gets derailed when it hits cow, no injuries
  • [21] Saturday's tremor of 4.5 Richters considered an aftershock, Geodynamic Institute says
  • [22] Medical provisions and beds, ND deputies delegation arriving at Cephalonia this weekend
  • [23] Kalashnikovs found in Paleo Faliro car were brand new, police says
  • [24] Eleven arrested during clashes on Saturday in Athens appear before prosecutor
  • [25] Specialists remove mercury residues off Xanthi street
  • [26] Northern Greek Gefyra village residents protest coffee-shop inspection by tax officials
  • [27] Unlicensed nurses' aids to appear before prosecutor on Sunday
  • [28] Greek singer Arvanitaki performs at Carnegie Hall
  • [29] Super League results
  • [30] Rain on Monday
  • [31] The Sunday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance Politics

  • [01] European Parliament elections on May 25, minister tells Vima newspaper

    An amendment setting May 25 as the date for European Parliamentary elections will be tabled in Parliament, according to Interior Minister Yiannis Michelakis in statements to be published in Sunday's Vima newspaper.

    He told the newspaper that Europarliamentary elections would fall on the same date as the second round of municipal elections to avoid complicating the first round of elections with three ballot boxes.

    He reiterated that there would be no early national elections and noted that constant talk about the issue harmed Greece. He expressed his belief that ruling New Democracy would win the Europarliament elections and national elections in 2016 as well. He also attacked main opposition party SYRIZA, saying, "We will not let SYRIZA turn us into another Argentina."

    [02] Berlin willing to offer 'extensive concessions' to Athens, Der Spiegel says

    Berlin (ANA-MPA / F. Karaviti)

    Berlin seems to be willing to offer "extensive concessions" to Athens in the near future, in a bid to prevent the revival of the crisis and support pro-euro forces, according to a Der Spiegel report to be published on Monday.

    According to Deutsche Welle (DW), citing the Der Spiegel report, the German Finance ministry's paper includes "three possibilities, which could be combined."

    "A limited additional programme of 10-20 billion euros from ESM (European Support Mechanism), without (the participation of) IMF (International Monetary Fund), the issue of Greek bonds, with higher yields compared to those of other European countries and despite the German Finance ministry's denials, a possible new haircut of the Greek debt, that would mainly hit the euro area member states," DW said.

    [03] Gov't taking into consideration farmers' issues, Agriculture minister says at major fair

    The Finance ministry has agreed to take into account some of the objections farmers have raised to newly-introduced tax regulations, Rural Development and Food Minister Athanassios Tsaftaris said on Saturday at the 25th annual trade fair Agrotica in Thessaloniki.

    As farmers rallied outside the Agrotica premises from noon on and planned country-wide protests over the regulations, Tsaftaris appeared optimistic about the ongoing dialogue with farmers and his contacts with the Finance ministry, which he said would issue by this coming week a circular clarifying some of the measures and adding some flexibility to them.

    He said all objections raised by farmers were being considered, and many of them accepted, by the Finance ministry, with official confirmation expected even as early as Monday.

    Some of the issues concern the keeping of accounting books on expenditures and revenues, which will be modified to once a year for those earning under 10,000 euros and twice annually for those above the amount. It will then be decided if it goes into effect monthly. The FinMin he said also accepted as a reasonable demand the need for more flexibility in declaring expected income, especially as unforeseeable events like bad weather precluded farmers from declaring a specific quantity of produce and final pricing for it.

    Other issues that have been raised by farmers include how to declare expenditures when no formal receipts are issued by renters of farming equipment or providers of petrol for agricultural usage. The agency, for example, that insures farmers against crop failure (ELGA) does not issue receipts, creating problems to farmers who are still waiting for subsidies and need to declare insurance as expenditure.

    "We are on the same side," Tsaftaris said, "we are listening to your experiences, and we are prepared to move to improvements." He defended the keeping of books as a way of proving the true provenance of products, avoiding fake receipts and preventing problems in rebates like VAT or the special consumer tax for farm petrol.

    In other comments at Agrotica, Tsaftaris hailed the importance of farmers markets, which he said would reduce the gap between producer and consumer prices. He said the institutional framework for these markets was completed and, along with other changes in how agricultural products could be marketed, would "help make agriculture again a pillar of growth in Greece during these hard times."

    Meanwhile, this past week farmers decided to block parts of the Thessaloniki-Athens national highway and of main junctures in the rural road network as of Monday. Thessaly farmers plan to block the Nikea turnoff on the Athens-Thessaloniki highway, near the central city of Larissa, and another block was planned for Tuesday by northern Evros prefecture farmers at the Orestiada turnoff.

    The farmers' national coordination body is meeting over the weekend to decide on plans for the coming week. Protests are focusing on the high cost of production and loans to agriculture.

    [04] Communist Party expresses support to farmers

    The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) hails the "mass participation of fighting farmers at the rally outside Agrotica fair (in Thessaloniki) and their determination to fight for their survival against the policies of the European Union and the government, which are destroying them," it said on Saturday.

    In its announcement, the KKE called on the working class and other popular strata to express their support to farmers, and to "review and assess Greece's 33-year participation in the EU, which brought profits and privileges to plutocracy and tribulations, poverty and unemployment to farmers and the Greek people."

    [05] Deputy Dev't minister meets with British officials in London

    LONDON (ANA-MPA/I. Karipidis)

    Deputy Development Minister Notis Mitarakis held a series of meetings in London Friday in his capacity as president of the Council of Trade and Development ministers.

    Mitarakis met with the British Trade minister, Lord Ian Livingston, and City of London Lord Mayor Fiona Woolf.

    "We discussed the need to promote European Union trade and investments agreements to create more job openings and reduce prices for consumers," Mitarakis told ANA-MPA.

    "We placed special emphasis on EU's negotiations with the United States (TTIP), the progress of which we will discuss in Athens at the informal Foreign Trade Ministers Council on February 27-28. In both my meetings I stressed the need to further strengthen European products' Protected Name of Origin and Protected Georgraphical Indication designations, in the framework of multisided and bilateral trade agreements."

    [06] FM Venizelos to meet with TAP construction consortium chief on Monday

    Government Vice President and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos will meet on Monday with Kjetil Tungland, the general manager of the consortium that has assumed construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline that will convey natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe.

    Their meeting is scheduled for 16:00 at the Foreign ministry and will focus on energy issues and the project's progress, the Foreign ministry announced.

    [07] FM Venizelos to participate in Europarliament plenary in Strasbourg on Feb 4-5

    Government Vice-President and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Tuesday and Wednesday will visit Strasbourg to participate as President of the EU Council of Ministers in the Europarliament Plenary, according to a ministry announcement.

    Venizelos on Tuesday will attend a luncheon, hosted by the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz in honor of the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

    Venizelos and Schulz will sign approved European Union legislation, while Venizelos will meet with the head of the offices of the European Parliament in the EU member states.

    Venizelos will also address the Socialists & Democrats Parliamentary Group and will host a dinner in honor of the Greek MEPs.

    At the European Parliament Plenary, Venizelos on Tuesday will speak on the need to establish a tax on financial transactions. On Wednesday, he will speak on the issues of Syrian refugees on the Bulgarian border, the EU-Russia Summit Meeting, the recent incident in Farmakonissi and the progress reports on Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro.

    [08] Development and Health ministers to jointly discuss non-prescription issue with the troika

    Ministers of Development and Health Costis Hatzidakis and Adonis Georgiadis agreed during a meeting on Saturday that they would jointly discuss the issue of over-the-counter medication with the troika of Greece's lenders.

    The deregulation of non-prescribed medications is being promoted by the Development ministry and is part of the recommendations provided by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in a report on how Greece can improve its competitive edge. The issue, especially pricing, has sparked disagreement between the ministry and pharmacists, who oppose the deregulation and are supported in this by the health ministry.

    At heart is the issue of whether non-prescription medication may be sold at places other than pharmacies. These include painkillers, analgesics, syrup and other medications that are not covered by insurance funds. The Health ministry wants the pharmacies to continue selling them and to have their prices set by the pharmaceutical companies themselves rather than the government.

    [09] SYRIZA's Central Committee ratifies Tsipras's proposals on local election candidates

    The Central Committee of main opposition SYRIZA party on Sunday rubberstamped proposals by the party leader Alexis Tsipras on candidates for key posts in Greece's local government elections, including the candidates for the 13 Greek regional authorities chiefs and for mayor of Athens.

    The party's candidate for the Attica region will be Athens 2nd constituency deputy Rena Dourou, while 34-year-old economist Gavriil Sakellaridis will be the party's candidate for Athens mayor.

    The Central Committee's decision was taken at a large majority, while the Left Platform was opposed to the candidacy of Odysseas Voudouris for the Peloponnese prefecture, as he had voted for the country's first bail-out deal (memorandum).

    After the conclusion of the vote, Tsipras addressed Panagiotis Lafazanis, head of Left Platform and said: "Your disagreement has been noted down. Now, the issue is whether we will be united in this battle."

    "That goes without saying," Lafazanis responded.

    [10] SYRIZA leader's speech to Central Committee focuses on criticism of premier, gov't

    The European Parliament elections and local elections in May will serve as a referendum for the government, main opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras said during his speech opening the two-day works of the Central Committee in the Kerameikos district of Athens on Saturday.

    Tsipras focused his speech on criticising the government and Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in particular, saying that May's double elections "will serve as a real referendum against the government of memorandum and subjugation that has throttled local government as well."

    "A victory in both of these referendums will be historic and catalytic," he said. "The overthrow we have envisioned, for which we have struggled and which will wrest the country from the memorandum bog, is at hand," he stressed, while he called for more young candidates on ballots "to bring a fresh air in the heavy fog of political life."

    In a speech seen as launching the party's election campaign by its focus on the government and Samaras to the exclusion of other parties, SYRIZA's leader said that his party offers the only way out of today's impasse for the majority of the Greek people. "The one phantom hovering over Greece for them is SYRIZA," Tsipras said, and called the prime minister "a representative of what is old and worn," claiming that "his fear can no longer be covered up" and, elsewhere in the speech, that Samaras "is in a panic."

    At another point in his speech Tsipras referred to Samaras' speech before the New Democracy parliamentary group in which the premier flatly rejected any possible collaboration with SYRIZA, asking, "Who really asked him about it (collaboration)? Who is pressuring him? Whoever thinks of such perverse complexes, such political monstrosities? Why doesn't he name who they are?"

    His own candidacy for the European Commission presidency, Tsipras said, was strongly criticized by New Democracy, Samaras and his supporters with "impressive meanness, hatred, and perversion" despite the positive response his candidacy and SYRIZA's struggle met with in Europe as a movement againt authoritarianism and austerity. "Samaras' ultra-right staff have spared no mud and slander" to prove the candidacy is "something close to an unpatriotic act," he said.

    Responding to charges he was supporting a Turkish-Cypriot party, Tsipras attacked Samaras saying that SYRIZA is proud that they are in the same European party with fighters who have dedicated their lives to the reunification of Cyprus, who are being prosecuted by the Turkish government and half of whom have been jailed. "We are proud we are fighting together for the reunification, the just and viable solution for the Cyprus people against the authoritarian regime of the Turkish occupation. After all, the European Left party (in the European Parliament) has made its stance on the Cyprus issue clear, with the contribution of AKEL and the Turkish-Cypriot left," he added.

    Quering what the conservative European People's Party stance is on the Cyprus issue, he further asked, "What is the position Samaras expects to take on the plan being promoted right now that calls for the island's splitting? Let us hear the response of the professional patriots....Some similar professional patriots led the Cyprus people to a tragedy 40 years ago."

    The works of SYRIZA's Central Committee are expected to conclude on Sunday night.

    [11] Gov't spokesman responds to SYRIZA leader

    In a terse statement responding to the speech of Alexis Tsipras, main opposition SYRIZA leader, opening his party's Central Committee meeting on Saturday, government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said the following:

    "All that was heard were insults and slander. It is a pity there was not a single specific proposal heard, to benefit the country."

    [12] PASOK response to SYRIZA leader's speech

    SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipra's plan for the country is dangerous and will cancel the efforts exerted by Greeks, PASOK party said on Saturday in response to Tsipras' speech at the opening of the main opposition's Central Committee meetings on Saturday.

    The main opposition party leader "wants the Greek people to say yes to a non-existent and dangerous so-called alternative plan that would lead to a cancelling out of the people's sacrifices and efforts and bring the country back to zero, or worse," the party said, adding that "Tsipras bases his policy on the existence and continuation of the memorandum because without it, he has nothing to say."

    "We are fighting for the final exit of the country from the crisis brought on by the memorandum, in contrast to liars and demagogues who still say today that the memorandum - the measures to protect the country from absolute destruction - brought the crisis."

    [13] Gov't will not complete its office term, Communist Party leader says

    Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Dimitris Koutsoumbas warned that "the government will not complete its four-year term in office," in statements that will be published in Sunday's Eleftherotypia.

    The KKE secretary general claimed that the government's fall will be a result of developments in the eurozone.

    Koutsoumbas also criticized main opposition SYRIZA, telling Sunday Eleftherotypia that "opportunism goes hand-in-hand with taking advantage of the times and being a political fortune-hunter. It is an unbreakable habit, after all."

    He also said that what was manifesting was "the remaking of the political scene, not just with the New Democracy-PASOK polarity, but with the remaking of the centre-left, since they need somewhat stabler government schemes of collaboration."

    [14] KKE sec'y general to speak on elections at party's Central Committee meeting Monday

    Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Dimitris Koutsoumbas will address the party's Central Committee meeting on "The KKE's stance on the struggle for Euroelections and regional/municipal elections" on Monday.

    The party's secrtary general will speak at 18:30 at Titania Hotel, in central Athens, the party said.

    [15] Europe's communist and labor parties approve Common Declaration

    Europe's 29 communist and labor parties, including Greece's KKE, approved a common declaration, under the title "We should strengthen the struggle against the labor's exploitation by the capital and the EU - For the Europe of people and socialism".

    The parties have set up the "INITIATIVE of communism and workers' parties in order to study and elaborate European issues and to coordinate their activity." Their common declaration was published in Sunday's Rizospastis and is addressed to working labor classes ahead of the Europarliament elections.

    The parties support the struggle of working labor classes, which defend their fundamental rights and their social achievements, while they condemn imperialistic wars and interventions and any kind of participation in them.

    The Common Declaration is asking working class to support communist and labor parties, which condemn the European Union, in May's Europarliament election.

    [16] Jacques Delors: 'I do not regret Greece's entry into eurozone', but delay would have helped

    The Greek governments are to blame for the country's present state, former president of the European Commission Jacques Delors said in an interview for Kathimerini newspaper on Sunday.

    "When the government of a country does foolish things, unfortunately this results in a price that ends up being paid by the people," Delors was quoted as saying.

    Delors said he did not regret Greece's joining the eurozone (in 2001), although he would have recommended postponing it for two or three years. "Greece should have started to strengthen its economic presence in competitive terms in order to be able to resist the intense competition within the eurozone," he said, explaining his stance.

    Asked to comment on the eurozone's future, he said that "the Economic Monetary Union must stand on tis own two feet - the economy and the currency - to repair the dysfunction of the original scheme" in order to be able to promote a way of governing based on true economic and currency integration.

    To the question of whether Greece, as EU president, carries credibility in Europe, the veteran politician said he had been misled, as other Europeans had, by "statistics carried out in Greece, and, as a result, the financial data for 2004 and 2009 had to be revised." He added however that Greece has since exerted great effort, while its people are facing a very difficult time.

    Delors was president of the Commission from 1985 to 1995. He was first elected deputy to the European Parliament in 1979 and chaired the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee until May 1981. Greece became a full member of the European Union in 1981.

    Financial News

    [17] Wages and pensions to 1,500 euros not subject to seizure, minister tells newspaper

    Wages and pensions of up to 1,500 euros per month will not be subject to seizure, Deputy Finance Minister Giorgos Mavraganis told Sunday's Eleftheros Typos.

    Mavraganis said the regulation on seizure of bank accounts over unpaid debts to the state would be "amended to strengthen protection from seizure of wages and pensions of wages and pensions up to 1,500 euros and to rule out seizure over debts of up to 500 euros."

    He also said a regulation being processed now would allow for the offset of debts with rebates, so that any returns by the state to an individual would be used to offset that person's debt to the state.

    The lowering of tax rates will continue, he said, and expand as fiscal budget balance is being achieved. He foresaw this as happening starting in 2015, reiterating that "it is the prime minister's stance that the tax burden will start becoming lighter when we achieve a primary surplus for the second time in a row."

    [18] Alpha Bank estimates 2013 tourist arrivals exceeded 18 million

    The number of foreign tourists that visited Greece last year is estimated to have exceed 18 million, Alpha Bank said in its weekly economic report.

    "Tourism posted an unprecedented increase in the last quarter of 2013 compared to 2012, and thus we estimate that the number of foreign tourists that visited Greece in 2013 will exceed 18 million compared to 15.7 million in 2012 and 16.4 million in 2011," Alpha Bank.

    Alpha Bank pointed out that according to the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), the number of foreign tourists that arrived in Greece on charter flights in the fourth quarter of 2013 rose by 21.1 percent to 1.273 million visitors from 1.051 million in the fourth quarter of 2012.

    Tourist receipts rose by 14.9 percent to 11.8 billion euros in the 11 month period of 2013. Travel services surplus stood at 10.1 billion euros in the 11 month period, increased by 17.7 percent year-on-year.

    EU and euro area countries arrivals increased by 7.2 percent and 8 percent respectively. Arrivals from Germany (+7.7 percent) and France (+18 percent) were significantly improved while the number of visitors from the United Kingdom fell by 4.3 percent.

    Arrivals from Russia rose by 54.7 percent on a yearly basis to 1.348 million tourists, resulting in revenues of 1.337 billion euros.

    Arrivals from the United States rose by 24.5 percent in the 11 month period.

    Based on the Bank of Greece's border survey data, incoming tourism rose by 15.3 percent in the 11-month period year-on-year, following a 5.6 percent fall in the same period of 2012.

    [19] General Secretariat for Consumers imposed 4,874 mln euros of fines in 2013

    The General Secretariat for Consumers imposed fines of 4,874 million euros in 2013, as part of the efforts to implement legislation, aimed at protecting consumers and ensuring the proper functioning of the market.

    Authorities in 2013 imposed 82 fines, totaling 1.307 million euros, for violations of the legislation related to the protection of consumers' interests. The General Secretariat for Consumers in 2013 received 13,173 complaints from citizens, related mainly to purchases of consumer goods, as well as financial services and telecommunications companies.

    Regarding the breach of market regulation, the Secretariat's auditors inspected 6,041 companies and imposed 1,565 fines, totaling 1.266 million euros. The focus was on food retailers on issues related to the misleading of the consumers.

    On intragroup transactions, authorities imposed 323 fines of 2,330 million euros for the late submission of statements of intercompany invoices.

    General News

    [20] Thessaloniki-Athens train gets derailed when it hits cow, no injuries

    Train schedules between Athens and Thessaloniki have been restored, following a derailment of an Intercity 55 earlier on Sunday.

    According to Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) officials, there were no injuries among 200 passengers of the train running on the Thessaloniki-Athens schedule, which was derailed when it hit a cow.

    The accident occurred between the Karya and Styrfaka stations, outside of Lianokladi and interrupted south-bound train schedules. Damages to the train were light, while service in that section of the rail lines was carried out by buses.

    Authorities said this is the second such accident, with the first one occurring on December 10 in the area of the town of Bralos, near the Papadia bridge.

    [21] Saturday's tremor of 4.5 Richters considered an aftershock, Geodynamic Institute says

    Seismic activity at at 18.30 on Saturday afternoon on Cephalonia island officially registered 4.5 on the Richter scale and is considered an aftershock of the major earthquake of last Sunday, the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens said late Saturday.

    The tremor was centered at the Ionian island's western shores.

    In a related message, Observatory seismologist Gerassimos Chouliaras said that the island's seismic activity is being monitored since the major earthquake of January 26, which had registered 5.8 on the Richter scale and was followed by several aftershocks over the next few days.

    In a statement released Saturday, Chouliaras said, "Infrastructure, Transport and Networks Minister Michalis Chryssochoidis called me...a few minutes after (the earthquake in January) and gave me the order of setting up a network to observe the island's seismic activity, an action that was completed 24 hours later under my supervision."

    The system he said will "provide information in real time to all scientists, so that the dangers of seismic activity on the island can be immediately assessed."

    [22] Medical provisions and beds, ND deputies delegation arriving at Cephalonia this weekend

    Two Greek Navy ships will be bringing provisions and providing extra beds to residents of the earthquake-stricken Ionian island of Cephalonia on Saturday.

    Prometheus is already on route, bringing basic goods, medication and health equipment as well as six Navy doctors of various specialties; the ship has a fully-equipped dispensary, including a telemedical system. Chios, which will sail within the day, will provide another 250 beds.

    National Defence Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos ordered the despatch of the ships following a request by the island's mayor.

    Meanwhile, a delegation from the New Democracy parliamentary group will also visit the island on Sunday to be personally briefed and help through interventions and parliamentary control in returning the island to normalcy. The delegation will remain on the island on Monday and also check that government measures to help residents are being applied.

    Cephalonia was struck by an earthquake of 5.8 on the Richter scale on Sunday and is still experiencing aftershocks. There were no deaths but damages were incurred at homes, some schools, and the hospitals on the island.

    [23] Kalashnikovs found in Paleo Faliro car were brand new, police says

    Three of the Kalashnikovs found in a car abandoned in the southern suburb of Paleo Faliro on Saturday have never been used, police said on Sunday after a ballistics check.

    The weapons-laden Opel Astra also included four anti-tank RPG rockets with their propulsive mechanisms and a launcher, four F1 hand grenades with their firing devices, the Kalashnikovs with seven clips and boxes of bullets for the same guns, and two Kalashnikov grips, according to the Greek Police headquarters. Gloves and hoods were also found.

    The car where the arms were hidden was stolen from Keratea in eastern Attica on January 1 and parked in Paleo Faliro. The antiterror squad had placed it under surveillance after special equipment and a trained dog had detected weapons.

    According to earlier reports, the RPG rockets are weapons that were first used in Greece against the United States Embassy in Athens in 2007 by the Revolutionary Army (Epanastatikos Agonas) terror organization, which had also stashed them in a hiding place in the Kypseli district of Athens. No such link has been confirmed in this case.

    [24] Eleven arrested during clashes on Saturday in Athens appear before prosecutor

    Eleven young people, arrested during Saturday's violent incidents in the centre of Athens, on Sunday appeared before the criminal prosecutor.

    Two of the arrested are minors. One is being prosecuted for a misdemeanor and was released while the other is charged with a felony, for allegedly having covered his face and disturbing the peace and for attempted reckless injury and was referred to the investigating magistrate.

    Another 8 of those arrested have remained in custody and will be tried on Monday for disturbing the peace.

    The young Turkish national, who was injured on Saturday, is being prosecuted for attempt to inflict serious bodily harm against police officers and for damage, under the legislation on perpetrators with covered faces.

    [25] Specialists remove mercury residues off Xanthi street

    Specialists on Sunday removed mercury residues off a street in central Xanthi, in northeastern Greece, following a leak that had alerted authorities.

    The section of the street was cordoned off last week, when authorities were informed of the accident.

    Last Sunday, a specialists' crew carried out measurements in the area and found that mercury levels were below limits set by international health regulations.

    A large quantity of mercury had been leaked during the transfer of laboratory machinery of the Dimokritio University of Thrace 15 days ago.

    [26] Northern Greek Gefyra village residents protest coffee-shop inspection by tax officials

    A festive event at Gefyra village, close to the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, on Sunday escalated to a confrontation when residents allegedly protested the inspection of a coffee shop by tax officials.

    Tax marshals claimed that they were not allowed to conduct an inspection at the coffee shop and were even threatened by unidentified persons. They later called police and filed a lawsuit against anyone responsible for the incident. Revenues from the event were offered to a regional cultural association.

    [27] Unlicensed nurses' aids to appear before prosecutor on Sunday

    Fourteen nurses' aides of several nationalities including two from Greece who were arrested at Evangelismos hospital were led before a prosecutor Sunday on charges of working without proper licensing and, in 12 cases, without work permits.

    In a sweep by aliens bureau police at various hospital clinics on Friday night, they arrested 7 nationals of Georgia, 2 of Bulgaria, 2 of Albania, one of Russia and two Greeks, all of whom were working as privately hired night nurses for patients at the hospital.

    Authorities said none of them had certificates from the nurses academy, issued receipts or paid into insurance funds.

    [28] Greek singer Arvanitaki performs at Carnegie Hall

    NEW YORK (ANA-MPA/P. Panagiotou)

    Greek singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Saturday evening (local time) before an audience of nearly 3,000 that included the Archbishop of America Dimitrios, diplomats freom Greece and Cyprus, municipal officials and members of the Greek, Armenian and Jewish communities.

    Arvanitaki appeared with a group of seven musicians and long-standing collaborator Ara Dinkjian, composer and soloist, who was special gues and performed on oud and cumbus.

    In its description, the Hall's site called Arvanitaki "one of today's most talented Greek singers" with a "unique gift for both rebetico (a genre of folk music popular with refugees from Asia Minor in the early 20th century) and contemporary Greek music" and said she had "the distinct ability to bring together disparate music styles."

    The concert, Arvanitaki told ANA-MPA, was "an unexpectedly magical night, with great emotion, very powerful, with a lot of love, a packed Carnegie Hall... A night I will never forget."

    Sports

    [29] Super League results

    Olympiakos beat Panetolikos by 2-1 at home in a match played over the weekend for the 22th round of the Greek soccer Super League.

    In other action:

    PAS Yiannena-Levadiakos 2-1

    Aris-Xanthi 1-1

    OFI-Panathinaikos 1-1

    Olympiakos-Panetolikos 2-1

    Kalloni-Asteras Tripoli 0-2

    Apollon Smyrnis-Atromitos 2-3

    Veria-Panthrakikos 0-0

    Panionios-Ergotelis 0-1

    Platanias-PAOK 2-1

    Standings after 22 weeks of play:

    1. Olympiakos 62

    2. PAOK 48

    3. Atromitos Athens 43

    4. Panathinaikos Athens 40

    5. Asteras Tripoli 39

    6. Panthrakikos 31

    7. Panetolikos 30

    8. OFI Crete 27

    9. Kalloni Mytilinis 26

    . PAS Yiannena 26

    . Xanthi 26

    12. Panionios Athens 24

    . Ergotelis 24

    14. Levadiakos 23

    15. Platanias Hania 22

    16. Apollon Smyrnis 21

    17. Veria 19

    18. Aris Thessaloniki 13

    Weather forecast

    [30] Rain on Monday

    Rain forecast for most of Greece, with storms expected at the Ionian and Aegean Seas and light snow at higher elevations. Strong easterly winds from 5 to 8 Beaufort, weakening overnight. Temperatures from -2C (9C at the Aegean islands and Crete) to 15C. In Athens, local rain, especially north, and snow on Mt. Parnas. Same winds. Temperatures from 7C to 11C. In Thessaloniki, slightly overcast, with easterly winds 3-5 Beaufort. Temperatures from -1C to 9C.

    [31] The Sunday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance

    AVGHI: "Renewed hope for political overturn" at main opposition SYRIZA party's Central Committee meeting this weekend

    DIMOKRATIA: "Plan B with shocking measures up FinMin Yannis Stournaras' sleeve"

    ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Pension cutbacks up in the air"

    ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Rebates from the state to offset debts to the state, for individuals and businesses"

    ETHNOS: "Wage reductions in special categories cancelled"

    KATHIMERINI: "Tower of Babel in tax legislation infuriates citizens"

    LOGOS: "Older citizens face starvation and poverty"

    RIZOSPASTIS: "Proclamation of the Initiative of Communist and Labour Paties of Europe"

    VIMA: "Criminals core group murdered Golden Dawn members"

    VRADYNI: "Get pensioned with 12 years of insurance only"

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