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Wednesday, 4 December 2024 | ||
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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 12-11-18Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] SYRIZA calls for a stop to PPC power supply cuts for overdue billsAMNA--The main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) party on Friday called on the government to exclude consumers who are unemployed, low income earners and low pensioners, as well as those who are at the limit of poverty, from the Public Power Corporation's (DEH) plans to go ahead with power disconnections for unpaid electricity bills.The government recently decided to give DEH the green light to go ahead with power supply disconnection to households and companies whose power bills are overdue. amna In an announcement SYRIZA also referred to its leader Alexis Tsipras' statements last June, who had "warned both DEH administration and the government that given that a large part of Greek society is at the limit of poverty and cannot meet their basic needs, special care should be taken to allow citizens' uninterrupted access to the social good of electricity." [02] PM chairs mini cabinet meeting ahead of Tuesday's EurogroupAMNA--Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Saturday chaired a "mini" cabinet meeting at his offices to prepare for next Tuesday's Eurogroup meeting, at which Greeks hopes for a final decision on the disbursement of financial aid and an overall solution to its debt problems for the next two years. The meeting was attended by the ministers of finance, development, education, administrative reform, tourism, health and labour.The agenda for the meeting covered all details that must be dealt with immediately under Greece's commitments to the European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) troika of Greece's lenders, including small changes to aspects of the omnibus bill outlining austerity cuts and structural reforms passed by Parliament last week, in order to further clarify points on which the troika has doubts and objections.amna Also discussed were a number of joint ministerial decrees that are to be tabled in the next few days for a series of issues. On Monday, the General Secretariat of the Government will table a legislative act including all these changes, so that there are no glitches in the talks with Eurozone finance ministers on Tuesday. Briefing the meeting, Labour Minister Yiannis Vroutsis confirmed that the labour ministry was full prepared to immedately implement the measures agreed and that the Greek side fully complied with its commitments.amna "We are 101 percent ready," he said, while AMNA sources said that circulars on implementing the new labour and social insurance measures will be ready for release at the start of next week. The circular on social insurance issues may possibly be issued on Monday and will include details on the operation of the Single Payments Authority and equivalent measures that will 'counterbalance' the cuts not made to disability pensions excluded from the measures. [03] Greek trade deficit significantly down in Jan-AugAMNA--Greece's trade deficit shrank significantly in the January-August period to 10.2 billion euros, from 15.9 billion euros in the corresponding period last year, Eurostat said on Friday. The EU executive's statistics service, in a report published here, said that Greek exports grew 11 pct in the eight-month period, while imports fell by 13 pct.Eurostat said that Greece recorded the fourth highest trade deficit in the EU-27, following the UK (102.2 bln euros), France (56.5 bln) and Spain (23.8 bln) in the January-August, while Germany (123.3 bln euros), Holland (31 bln) and Ireland (29.3 bln) recorded the highest trade surplus.amna The Eurozone recorded a trade surplus of 9.8 billion euros in September, from a surplus of 1.7 billion euros in September 2011, while the EU-27 recorded a trade deficit of 12.6 billion euros in September from a shortfall of 10.9 billion euros in the same month last year. Europe's exports fell by 1.5 pct, while imports were 1.7 pct down in September from August. [04] Art exhibition to support the homeless of AthensAMNA--Three hundred artists from all over the world have created and are displaying their works at the "Technopolis" in downtown Athens to support the homeless of Athens.amnaArtists from Greece, Europe, Egypt, USA, India, China, Morocco and Nigeria responded to an invitation by the art platform "artAZ" to create one work of art for this cause. The works are on display in the "Ekplixi 4" (Surprise 4) exhibition running at the Athens Municipality's Technopolis .amna The signature of the creator of each work will not be visible and the identity of the artist will be revealed after it is sold.amna The exhibition is organized for the 4th consecutive year, with the proceeds going to the relief of the homeless. [05] Former royal palace artifacts declared 'moveable monuments'AMNA--Hundreds of artifacts from the former royal summer palace at Tatoi, including a dowry agreement for the marriage of King George I and Princess Olga, paintings by Ivan Aivazovsky and Konstantinos Volanakis, have been declared moveable monuments after a unanimous decision by the Central Council of Contemporary Monuments.Culture ministry departments have been recording and assessing the condition of the artifacts from the main residence, horse stable and outhouses in the palace complex since 2004, while the removal of all artifacts from the main palace is due to be completed in the next few days.amna Some 5,500 objects have been recorded so far, some of which are of outstanding interest, among them nine signed paintings by Aivazovsky, Carl Frederick Sorensen, Volanakis, Epaminondas Thomopoulos, Vassilios Germenis and Georgios Kosmadopoulos, nine 19th century folk costumes, a lace parasol, a linen bridal sheet and a bridal curtain. 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