Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-08-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] Holidays for party leaders this month

[02] Gov't on defence of retirement ages

[01] Holidays for party leaders this month

Papoulias will go Wednesday to the Panaghia Soumela Monastery in the Vermio region of north-central Macedonia province to attend celebrations marking the annual August 15 Dormition of the Virgin religious holiday.

The President, who is presently on holiday on the Ionian island of Lefkada, will fly by helicopter to the area to attend a liturgy at the Panaghia Soumela, after which he will lay a wreath at the bust of War of Independence hero Alexandros Ypsilantis.

At noon on Wednesday, Papoulias will attend a luncheon in his honour hosted by the board of directors of the Panaghia Soumela Foundation before returning to Lefkada.

Karamanlis arrived with his family on Sunday on the Cyclades island of Tinos, where he will attend the August 15 celebrations, as he does each year, before returning to Athens on Thursday.

Main opposition leader George Papandreou is spending the second part of his holiday in the Ionian islands. Papandreou, as he arrived on Lefkada on Saturday night, although he was due back in Athens on Tuesday morning to chair a meeting of his party's campaign committee. On Wednesday he will attend celebrations at the Panaghia Soumela monastery.

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga will spend a few days at her summer home in Nea Makri, east of Athens.

Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos) party leader Alekos Alavanos will visit Irakleio, Crete where he will be a candidate for parliament in the next general elections.

Caption: The main cathedral on the Cyclades island of Tinos, dedicated to the Madonna, which traditionally is the epicentre of Dormition of the Virgin religious holiday on Aug. 15 in the east Mediterranean nation. ANA-MPA file photo.

[02] Gov't on defence of retirement ages

The Commission decided to refer Greece to the European Court regarding what it perceives as violation of the principle of equality between men and women with regard to the retirement age (which is 65 for men and 60 for women under Greek legislation).

Due to the importance of the case for the country's social security system in general, according to Magginas, the assistance of the two umbrella labour organisations in formulating the best possibledefence for Greece in the European Court was deemed necessary.

Caption: Minister Vassilis Magginas. ANA-MPA photo

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