Athens News Agency: News in English, 11-01-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] Pharmacists announce more strikes next week

[02] Report on Siemens to Parliament on Monday

[03] Acropolis Museum open until 10 p.m. on Fridays

[04] Prinzhorn collection at Benaki

[05] Higher road tolls this week

[06] Patras Carnival kicks off

[07] Athens Newspaper Headlines 

[01] Pharmacists announce more strikes next week

Heads of pharmacists' associations throughout the country took part in a meeting that decided to escalate protest action unless the government agrees to make modifications to the planned legislation, which they said had been agreed in talks between pharmacists and the health minister.

"The insured will be able to procure their medication normally with prescriptions from their social insurance fund. On Monday and Tuesday from all pharmacies and on the other days from the duty and overnight pharmacies," said the head of the national pharmacists' association.

The Piraeus Pharmacists Association decided on an even tougher stance, however, and has announced rolling 48-hour strikes from Monday. According to the head of the Piraeus association Constantine Kouvaris, pharmacists in Piraeus have not been paid by five social insurance funds in the past five months and can no longer afford to hand out drugs to the insured on credit.

In statements on Friday, Health Minister Andreas Loverdos had not appeared willing to compromise and announced that public hospitals would be enlisted if pharmacies refused to supply social insurance beneficiaries with pharmaceuticals.

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[02] Report on Siemens to Parliament on Monday

Former premier Costas Simitis angrily attack main opposition New Democracy on Friday for recommending that his part in the affair be further investigated, accusing ND of trying to create false impressions using "inaccurate, incomplete and false evidence".

Former finance minister under ND also angrily denied any involvement, as did former PASOK transport minister Christos Verelis and former ND finance minister Yiannis Papathanassiou in response to the committee's decision to refer them to a more formal Parliamentary hearing to determine whether they should stand trial in connection with the case.

Other former ministers that the committee believes should be investigated further in connection with the case include former PASOK finance minister Yiannos Papantoniou, ND interior minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos, former ND transport minister Mihalis Liapis, and former PASOK ministers Nikos Christodoulakis and Akis Tsohatzopoulos, among others.

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[03] Acropolis Museum open until 10 p.m. on Fridays

At the same time, the museum will also begin a programme for the conservation and restoration of the Caryatid sculptures - structural columns holding up the temple's porch that were carved to look like young women - from the Erechtheum.

The programme includes using laser tools to clean the sculptures from atmospheric pollution and remove factors causing damage, affix less secure areas of the marble and restore their structure. The museum has chosen not to move them from the gallery during the process, in order to avoid the strain of an additional move. (ANA-MPA) It also hopes to allow visitors to get first-hand experience of procedures that until now took place in inaccessible laboratories. (ANA-MPA)

Caption: A file photo dated Friday, June 18, 2009 shows the New Acropolis Museum, foreground, with the Acropolis Hill, crowned by the Parthenon, in the background at dusk. ANA-MPA / O. PANAGIOTOU.

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[04] Prinzhorn collection at Benaki

The collection belongs to the University of Heidelberg psychiatric clinic and has toured several European cities before coming to Athens for the first time,through collaboration of the Greek Psychiatric Society, the Goethe Institute in Athens and the arts organisation "Aion".

The exhibition features 96 works of art produced by 18 mental patients ultimately killed in the "euthanasia programme" of Nazi Germany in gas chambers, in the specially designed psychiatric wards of the 3rd Reich or through gradual starvation.

Their works were collected by the psychiatrist and art historian Hans Prinzhorn, primarily on their artistic merits, after World War I.

The exhibition will run at the Benaki Museum until February 13, 2011.

Caption: A file photo dated 15 February 2010 shows Thomas Roeske, head of the Heidelberg Museum's Prinzhorn collection, presenting a sketch by Wilhelm Werner in Heidelberg, Germany. Sketches of Wilhlem Werner, who was forcibly sterilised and killed in 1940 by the Nazis, first went on display on 18 March 2010. ANA-MPA/EPA/RONALD WITTEK

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[05] Higher road tolls this week

On the Corinth-Kalamata road the new tolls at Spathovouni will be 1.70 euro for motorbikes, 2.40 euro for cars, 6.20 euro for small trucks and 8.70 euro for large trucks.

At the Nestani tolls the prices will now be 1.60 euro for motorbikes, 2.30 euro for cars, 5.90 euro for small trucks and 8.20 euro for large trucks.

At the Asea tolls the prices will be 1.30 euro for motorbikes, 1.90 euro for cars, 4.80 euro for small trucks and 6.70 euro for large trucks.

Finally, at the Elefsina tolls vehicles will have to pay 2.20 euro for motorbikes, 3.10 euro for cars, 7.90 euro for small trucks and 11.00 euro for large trucks.

Similar tolls will be charged at the Isthmus heading for Athens, at Zevgolatio heading for Patras and at Rio, heading for Athens.

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[06] Patras Carnival kicks off

This year's presenters will be Zakelina Kyrousi and Dimitris Politis, with Patras Mayor Yiannis Dimaras declaring the official opening of the 2011 Patras Carnival.

After the opening ceremony there will be an party open to the public at Agios Georgios Square.

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[07] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Pension issues, rising unemployment and the political furore over the Siemens kickbacks investigation were the main front-page item in Athens' dailies on Saturday.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "160,000 insured in the queue to receive pensions".

AVGHI: "71,125 unemployed just in December".

AVRIANI: "Simitis should be in prison [refers to former premier Costas Simitis]".

ELEFTHEROS: "Half of PASOK accusing other half of taking kickbacks from Siemens".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Brussels slap for Papandreou".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "New discounts from receipts".

ESTIA: "Cross-party cover-up".

ETHNOS: "Lump sum after ...2013 in public sector".

IMERISSIA: "Plan for favourable settlement, in spite of denials. Velvet solution for the debt".

KATHIMERINI: "Siemens causes turbulence".

LOGOS: Runs headline referring to political storm caused by publication of the party positions regarding the report from the Parliamentary investigation into Siemens kickbacks.

NAFTEMPORIKI: "Elenxis goes to work against tax evasion".

NIKI: "Tax traps for those with deposits abroad".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Free health care the people's right".

TA NEA: "Rescue plan in four steps".

VRADYNI: "They are concealing joblessness, undeclared employment".

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