Athens News Agency: News in English, 11-05-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] ND on snap elections and referendum

[02] Cretan businessman commits suicide over financial woes

[03] Aegean Airlines launches direct flights to Paris, Tel Aviv

[04] Unprecedented social media-fueled rally

[05] 4.9R in Kyllini sea region

[06] Ferry ticket fares down

[07] ASE opening: Rise

[08] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] ND on snap elections and referendum

"We have presented a specific proposal with cost-effective measures which if implemented will lead the country out of the crisis," he said, adding that "it is the third proposal outlined within a year".ana-mpa

"From now on the government will have to assume its responsibility. We will not follow PASOK's example by doing what it did, namely, to pressure for elections. We are ready. Elections are welcomed if such a decision is made," Mihelakis stressed. ana-mpa

Mihelakis said any discussion about a memorandum referendum is incomprehensible at this particular time, adding that "if the government was really interested in the opinion of the Greek people, it would have held a referendum before voting in favour of the memorandum".

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[02] Cretan businessman commits suicide over financial woes

The body of the man - the latest in a rash of suicides on the island over financial difficulties -- was found by his brother on Thursday morning in his home in Anogeia, Mylopotamos in Rethymno prefecture.ana-mpa

Sources close to the family told ANA-MPA that the businessman had kept the immense financial problems to himself so as not to worry his wife and their 22-year-old son, and was a serious family man with good social relations.

Police are investigating the causes of the suicide.

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[03] Aegean Airlines launches direct flights to Paris, Tel Aviv

The Aegean Airlines' flights from Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport to Moscow are scheduled for four to six times a week. The airline will fly to Paris three times a week and twice a week to Tel Aviv.

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[04] Unprecedented social media-fueled rally

The rally was organised without the involvement of trade unions, political parties and other organisations, rather it relied heavily on ordinary citizens, or "netizens", who learned about it from social media such as Facebook, Twitter and others.

A Facebook site set up by 'Aganaktismenoi sto Syntagma' ("Indignant at Syntagma"), a reference to the eponymous square in front of the Greek Parliament, had garnered more than 33,000 'likes' by the time the demonstration started at 6 p.m. (16.00 GMT).

Thousands, mostly young people flooded the city's main square, peacefully demonstrating their indignation at the austerity measures announced by the government, and, in general, over the ongoing economic and fiscal crisis in the country.

A similar initiative took place in other cities across Greece, with mostly young people in the northern city of Thessaloniki holding a peaceful rally in front of the White Tower on the city's seafront.

Organisers warned that the mobilisation would be peaceful and without banners or placards indicating whatever organised collective identity. They also warned that they will not accept "party participations and interventions."

Thousands of demonstrators also occupied the seafront boulevard in the early evening, holding a sit-down protest. (ANA-MPA)

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[05] 4.9R in Kyllini sea region

According to the Geodynamic Institute of the Athens Observatory, the quake had a shallow epicentral depth of 15-20 km and thus was strongly felt in the wider area. ana-mpa

No injuries or damages were immediately reported.

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[06] Ferry ticket fares down

According to Maritime Affairs Minister Yiannis Diamantidis, the regulation will have an immediate affect on coastal shipping passengers, since fares will decrease by over 10 percent.ana-mpa

Backing the regulation, that was submitted and ratified by the Plenum, as an amendment in the Defence ministry's bill on public contracts for procurements, projects and services, Diamantidis also spoke of the satisfaction of a steadfast demand by all the coastal shipping unions and the rest of the Shipping agencies.

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[07] ASE opening: Rise

Individual sector indices were moving upward, with the biggest gains in Travel and Recreation, up 3.24 percent; Banks, up 1.96 percent and Financial Services, up 1.79 percent.

The biggest losses were in Health, down 0.57 percent; Chemicals, down 0.39 percent and in Personal and Household Goods, down 0.13 percent.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was up 1.35 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was up 0.47 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was up 0.83 percent.

Of the stocks traded, 39 were up, 13 were down, and 10 were unchanged.

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[08] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Greek European Commissioner for fisheries Maria Damanaki's statements that the country's European course is at risk, new cutbacks in pensions in the public and private sectors, the government's tax policy, and the peaceful protests against the political system and the Troika, mostly dominated the headlines on Thursday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "The first 72,000 lay-offs on the horizon!".

AVGHI: "Terrorists...".

AVRIANI: "The only solution for Greece is a return to the drachma".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "They are executing the Greek economy in cold blood".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Blatant coercion, with exit from the eurozone as the 'bogeyman'."

ESTIA: "Government insists on the new taxation".

ETHNOS: "Express pension cuts".

IMERISSIA: "Troika's ultimatum on the mid-term programme: June 3 the deadline".

KATHIMERINI: "Dilemmas for all ahead of the new Memorandum".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "International political game for the Greek rescue".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Widespread rallies on Saturday throughout the country".

TA NEA: "They are playing with fire! - Dilemmas with the spectre of the drachma".

VRADYNI: "Government terrorising the people in order to impose the new austerity measures".

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