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Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-02-14Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Athens mayor appointed foreign ministerAthens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni pledged to do her utmost to meet the demands placed on her "in a time of major international upheaval", shortly after learning of her appointment as foreign minister in a sweeping cabinet reshuffle announced on Tuesday by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis."Greece now faces major challenges that I am certain it can meet," she said, while stressing that the appointment was a "great honour and responsibility". Concerning the remainder of her term as Athens mayor, Bakoyianni said that the New Democracy-backed municipal party "Athens Tomorrow" that she had led would be able to keep the municipality on a steady course "in the few months that are left until the municipal elections". "I will continue fighting to strengthen the institution of local government and Athens, whatever position I am in," she added. ANA-MPA Copyright © 2004-2005 All rights reserved. [02] Greece remains on high alert over bird fluVeterinary services throughout northern Greece remained on high alert for further cases of suspected bird flu on Tuesday, especially in areas that attract many migratory water-fowl such as ducks, geese and swans.Water-fowl are considered the highest risk for spreading the virus to domestic poultry since they can be carriers without showing symptoms, spreading the virus over great distances. Samples taken from dead swans in the Thessaloniki area last week showed that wild birds infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus have migrated south into Greece. Expert ornithologists said that a duck that tested positive for the virus on Skyros helped them to narrow down the region where the virus originated, since it belongs to an endangered species that winters almost exclusively around the Black Sea. Meanwhile, two people that were admitted to hospital a few days agos with symptoms similar to bird flu have tested negative for the disease. Later on Tuesday, authorities announced that two more samples testing positive for the H5 virus had been taken from dead swans in the greater Thessaloniki area, where the first three positive samples were taken. One dead bird was found in the sea of the city coast, about 1000 metres from the shore and the second in Asprovalta. Both samples have been sent to the Community Reference Laboratory in London for further testing, to see if they contain the deadly H5N1 strain. The agriculture ministry announced that all required containment measures were taken in the areas where the dead birds were found. ANA-MPA Copyright © 2004-2005 All rights reserved. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |