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Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-12-18Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] PASOK offices vandalisedUnknown perpetrators smashed the glass window-fronts of ruling PASOK party offices in the Athens districts of Dafni, Alimos, Melissia and Kesariani in the early morning hours of Friday.Moreover, an arson attack against the PASOK office in the Neo Psychico district was also reported. Police found a home-made explosive device at the site. [02] Ptolemaic-era pylon retrieved from Alexandria's harbourA pylon believed to form part of a sunken temple dedicated to the mythical Egyptian goddess of Isis is lifted from the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria's eastern harbour this week. Archaeologists believe the nine-ton pylon was part of a palace complex dated to the time of Cleopatra's reign. Isis was worshipped as the goddess of fertility and magic and was considered as amongst the most popular and powerful deities in pharaonic Egypt. The artifact will be one of the centrepieces in a planned underwater museum, which will be constructed in the Stanley area of Alexandria. The museum will display more than 200 objects lifted from the sea over the past several years. The pylon was discovered more than a decade ago by a Greek archaeological expedition. ANA-MPA / EPA/KHALED EL FIQI[03] Unemployment at 9.3%Unemployment was recorded at 9.3 percent in the third quarter of 2009, up from 7.2 percent in the corresponding period of 2008, according to figures released on Friday by the National Statistics Service. The number of employed people during the same period exceeded to 4.54 million. The number of unemployed increased by 128,234 people. Unemployment among women was at 13.1 percent, 6.6 percent for men. By region, the highest unemployment was recorded in the Western Macedonia region, 11.4 percent, followed by Eastern Macedonia-Thrace, 11 percent, while the lowest rates were in Ionian Islands with 5.1 percent, and the Northern Aegean region with 5.4 percent.[04] Main highway closedGreece's main north-south highway remained closed on Friday at the Tempi Valley intersection, north-central Greece, after a major landslide on Thursday killed a 62-year-old motorist.The victim, identified as an Italian engineer, was killed when boulders smashed into the vehicle he was driving. The deceased was the project director of the bridge being constructed at the site, who had just arrived with other employees of the Malliakos-Kleidi consortium to inspect damage caused by falling rocks at the same spot on Tuesday and Wednesday. Another landslide occurred as the 62-year-old engineer and the consortium employees arrived in two cars. The five employees, who were in one car, heard the noise and quickly abandoned the vehicle, resulting in light injuries to two of them, but the engineer, who was alone in the second vehicle, was killed when a boulder crashed onto his car. According to authorities, the particular stretch of the Athens-Thessaloniki highway where the landslide occurred will remain closed for at least one month's period, with vehicles expected to use alternate routes, all of which will add hours of drive time. Swiss experts have arrived in the country to advise on stabilisation works at the specific site, one of Greece's best-known and rugged canyons. [05] ASE opening: DeclineEquity prices were declining at the opening of trade on Friday on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), with the basic share price index down 0.37 percent, standing at 2,187.28 points at 11:15 a.m., and turnover at 33.6 million euros.Individual sector indices were moving mostly downward, with the biggest gains in Insurance, up 5.23 percent; Travel and Recreation, up 2.25 percent and Public Utilities, up 1.41 percent. The biggest losses were in Construction, down 1.20 percent; Health, down 1.14 percent; Telecoms, down 0.85 percent. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was down 0.39 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was down 0.47 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was up 0.40 percent. Of the stocks moved, 49 were up, 42 were down, and 36 were unchanged. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |