Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-09-14

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

CONTENTS

[01] OSE strike as planned, despite court ruling it as 'illegal'

[02] 55 drug arrests in Security Police 'sweep' in Athens

[03] FM on Serbia's EU prospect

[04] Gov't on Olympic

[05] ASE opening: Decline

[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] OSE strike as planned, despite court ruling it as 'illegal'

Meanwhile, train attendants are holding three 3-hour work-stoppages, which are scheduled for 6:00-9:00 a.m., 1:00-4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m to midnight.

The Nationwide Federation of Rail Employees, in an announcement after the ruling was issued, said that it had made an early announcement of the pending strike, and also passed off as "false" charges that it had not designated a skeleton staff given that "a relevant contract has not been signed, at the fault of the companies".

Consequently, the Federation said, "the strike action planned for September 14 (Tuesday) will take place as scheduled".

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[02] 55 drug arrests in Security Police 'sweep' in Athens

The drug dealers, must of whom are of African nationality, will appear before a public prosecutor on Tuesday, Athens Security Police deputy chief Thucydides Sakarelos will make detailed announcements later in the day.

A large quantity of heroin, cocaine, hashish and other narcotic substances were found in the possession of the detainees, as well as stolen goods they accepted from users to pay for the drugs.

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[03] FM on Serbia's EU prospect

Entering the EU General Affairs Council meeting, Droutsas stated that the EU member-states will have to immediately send a clear message of support for Serbia's European course.

He also pointed out that the European Commission should be requested to issue a quick decision concerning the opening of accession negotiations with Belgrade, adding: "hopefully, such a decision could be made as early as today."

The issue of the request for a European Council decision was discussed in Monday's Council meeting and following an intervention by the Greek foreign minister it was decided that it will be further examined in the next General Affairs Council meeting to take place in Luxembourg in October.

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[04] Gov't on Olympic

An announcement by the Greek ministry stressed that "today's decision by the EU's General Court, that partially annuls a previous decision by the European Commission concerning state subsidies to Olympic Airways and Olympic Airlines, fully vindicates our policy of waging a battle at every opportunity."

The announcement also said "today's decision constitutes a moral vindication alone, proving, at the same time, that the previous government did not wage the battles, that it should have, with the necessary determination."

A European second instance court on Monday slashed the amount of illegal state aid that Olympic Airlines and its failed predecessor, state-run carrier Olympic Airways, must return to Greek state coffers.

The European Commission ruled the airlines had received approximately 530 million euros in illegal subsidies before and after the restructuring of debt-ridden Olympic Airways.

The EU General Court ruled that not all of the assistance received by the airlines was illegal. Some 400 million euros must be returned, however.

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[05] ASE opening: Decline

All individual sector indices were mixed with the biggest gains in Commerce, up 2.16 percent; and Industrial Products, up 0.56 percent.

The biggest losses were in Media, down 0.71 percent and in Financial Services, down 0.55 percent.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was down 0.09 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was up 0.55 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was down 0.05 percent.

Of the stocks traded, 36 were up, 31 were down, and 15 were unchanged.

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[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Prime Minister George Papandreou's speech in Oslo at the joint IMF-ILO conference, the shortfall in revenues and the VAT increases in staple goods, medicines, electricity, natural gas rate and transport tickets, and the road shows on the Greek economy in European capitals dominated the headlines on Tuesday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Citizens Service Centers (KEP) at risk of closing due to government's irrational policy...".

APOGEVMATINI: "Cutbacks in successive insurance, too".

AVGHI: "Two months 'stay of execution' for the doomed".

CHORA: "Troika cutting 1.5 billion euros from the armaments expenditures".

ELEFTHEROS: "When the prime minister is on cloud "nine" - Papandreou's unbelievably contradictory statements from Oslo".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Prime Minister 'froze' us from Oslo - When abroad he speaks the truth".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Finance Ministry's plan to close outstanding tax cases to begin next month".

ESTIA: "What former Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis had stated a year ago in his speech at TIF - Today's developments vindicate him".

ETHNOS: "New system for successive insurance".

IMERISSIA: "Alarm over the revenues - New VAT increase on the verge".

KATHIMERINI: "Government 'measure'-mongering".

LOGOS: "New increase in VAT being mulled - Added burden to households".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "Recourse to markets with the troika as an ally".

NIKI: "The two sides of Greece in the 'Memorandum era'."

RIZOSPASTIS: "Government's policy downgrades education".

TA NEA: "Pay and burn your accounting books".

TO VIMA: "1 million outstanding tax cases from 2000-2009 to be finally closed".

VRADYNI: "Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou and (European Commission, ECB and IMF) troika desperately searching in Europe for investments".

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