Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-05-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM addresses EETT international conf'

[02] Abducted man found dead

[03] ASE opening: Rise

[01] PM addresses EETT international conf'

Karamanlis spoke of the digital revolution, noting that information today was an important factor of growth and progress, while at the same time comprising a powerful advantage that should be utilised for the country's advancement.

The premier also stressed the significant advantages arising from digital technology in the fields of tele-medicine, education, culture and entrepreneurship, and also in tackling a number of problems such as environmental pollution and illegal immigration, among others.

Karamanlis further outlined the government's policy and strategy on expanding the use of broadband, noting that the target was to create infrastructures and take measures so that they would benefit the citizens.

The premier particularly referred to the major project of developing new generation optical fibers, budgeted at 2.1 billion euros, and to hundreds of smaller projects currently in progress for the spread of broadband use.

He noted that broadband penetration had jumped from just 0.1 percent in 2004 to 13.4 percent today, adding that Greece had the fastest developing broadband penetration in the world.

Broadband creates a new status quo, and whoever does not adapt risks being left on the margins of development, Karamanlis stressed.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis

[02] Abducted man found dead

Businessman Yiannis Kypriotakis, owner of a paint factory in the Heraklion Industrial Zone and the father of three children, had been abducted Monday afternoon in the Vasilies district of Heraklion, where he had been lured to by a telephone call from an unidentified person posing as a prospective customer in order to supposedly undertake the painting of a building.

All traces of the businessmen disappeared after he went to the appointment, and his family reported Kypriotakis as missing after a search by his wife and relatives failed to find him. The family was later contacted by the abductors, who asked for a ransom.

According to unconfirmed information, the sum of the ransom initially asked for was 300,000 euros.

The businessman was allowed to contact his wife, asking that she not involve the police in the case.

The abductors later asked for a larger sum of money, but after negotiations the sum agreed was 155,000 euros, which was dropped off at 10:00 on Tuesday night by the wife, accompanied by relatives, at a remote spot in the Gouves area. The abductors then contacted the family again, saying that they would find the businessman two hours later at a remote spot in Potamies, Heraklion.

Shortly afterwards, the local fire department and police were informed that a jeep was on fire in the Potamies area, where they found the businessman's charred body in the trunk of the vehicle, which belonged to Kypriotakis himself.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo

[03] ASE opening: Rise

Individual sector indices were moving upward nearly across the board, with the only losses in Travel & Recreation, down 0.45 percent;

The biggest gains were in Mass Media, up 4.40 percent; Banks, up 3.28 percent; Health, up 2.75 percent; and Financial Services, up 2.44 percent.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was up 2.36 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was up 1.75 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was up 1.54 percent.

Of the stocks moved, 115 were up, 10 were down, and 12 were unchanged.

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