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Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-04-07
CONTENTS
[01] Male brown bear found killed
[02] Greek, French environment ministers to meet in Paris on Thursday
[03] First Greeks inaugurate visa-free travel to U.S.
[04] FinMin meets IMF experts
[01] Male brown bear found killed
ANA-MPA/A male brown bear was found dead in the wider region of
Neapolis, Kozani, northwestern Greece. According to the Arcturos
non-governmental wildlife and environmental protection group, the 220kg
bear was killed possibly last Friday but the conditions of its death
can not be precisely defined due to decomposition. However, the
position in which the dead animal was found indicates that the death
was not from natural causes while a wound on its leg leads to the
conclusion that the death could be attributed to human intervention.
The location where the dead animal was found is a brown bear reserve
full of oak trees and farmland. At this time of the year the brown
bears roam the area in search of acorns to eat.
[02] Greek, French environment ministers to meet in Paris on Thursday
Environment, Energy and Climate Change minister Tina Birbili will meet
in Paris on Thursday with her French counterpart, Ecology, Energy,
Sustainable Development and Sea minister Jean-Louis Borloo.
The two ministers will exchange views on and investigate cooperation
prospects in the sectors of the environment, energy and green growth.
[03] First Greeks inaugurate visa-free travel to U.S.
ÁÍÁ-ÌPA/Passengers leaving Athens on Delta Airlines' Wednesday morning
flight for New York were no doubt surprised when U.S. Ambassador to
Athens Daniel Speckhard suddenly arrived at the airline's check-in desk
to check on their progress, surrounded by a bevy of reporters and
cameras. Several among them were also surprised to learn that theirs
was the first flight leaving Athens on which Greek citizens were able
travel to the United States without a visa.
Greece was formally added to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program on Monday,
allowing Greeks to forgo the often laborious process of getting a visa
via the embassy. Those wanting to visit the U.S. can now simply fill in
an online application called the Electronic System for Travel
Authorization (ESTA) that gives them clearance to travel.
[04] FinMin meets IMF experts
ANA-MPA/Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou met on Wednesday noon
with a team of International Monetary Fund (IMF) experts who arrived in
Athens earlier in the day to provide technical assistance to the Greek
government.
Papaconstantinou told reporters after the meeting, which was also
attended by deputy minister Philippos Sachinidis, that the two sides
reviewed the implementation of the government's new tax bill, with the
main thrust on materialisation of the measures aimed at curbing tax
evasion, conducting extensive cross-checks, and reorganisation of the
relevant services.
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