|
|
|
Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-01-28
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 28/01/1999 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Teachers join students in protest march
- Athens denies no missiles report
- Greece comments on Clinton visit
- Euro MPs say Ancient Olympia only venue for Games
- Alternate FM in Cyprus
- Cold snap on the way
- Weather
- Foreign Exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Teachers join students in protest march
Workers and university students joined pupils on Thursday for a march
through the centre of Athens to protest, yet again, against the education
ministry's reforms. Police estimated the crowd at some 5,000 people. The
violence that had marred previous marches was absent on Thursday, although
police reported some tension and scuffles. There was a strong police
presence deployed in side streets along the course of the march with orders
to immediately intervene at any sign of disturbance. The protest and rally
meant that traffic into the city centre came to a virtual standstill from
10.30 a.m. till 2.30 p.m., when marchers dispersed. Marches in Patras and
Iraklion were also reported to be fairly peaceful, with protestors in
Patras briefly blocking the road with skips.
Athens denies no missiles report
The Greek government on Thursday denied a report in an Athens daily
claiming that Russian-made S-300 missiles would not be deployed or stored
on Crete as Athens had stated after Nicosia decided not to install them on
Cyprus. Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas bluntly stated that the
article in today's edition of "Eleftherotypia" was not true. Nicosia had
originally ordered the anti-aircraft missiles to bolster its defences but
President Glafcos Clerides recently decided against their deployment.
Turkey had openly threatened to prevent their deployment. There were also
fears in Athens and Nicosia that deployment of the S-300 might harm Cyprus'
EU accession prospects.
Greece comments on Clinton visit
The Greek government on Thursday said that a reported visit by US President
Bill Clinton to Greece would be welcome but expressed some displeasure
regarding the circumstances in which it will take place and the way in
which it was announced. "Greece is happy to receive all leaders, but it
would be preferable if their visits were not a supplement or sequel to some
other visit," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said. Diplomatic sources
said on Wednesday that Clinton had expressed the desire to visit Greece in
November for talks with Prime Minister Costas Simitis. According to the
sources, which underlined that it was still too early to say with
certainty that the visit will eventually take place, Clinton will be
in Istanbul on November 18-19 to attend an OSCE summit. The sources
said that Clinton wanted to take advantage of this occasion to hold
talks on the region's problems, including the Cyprus problem and
Greek-Turkish relations.
Euro MPs say Ancient Olympia only venue for Games
Ten Eurodeputies of the ruling PASOK party have undertaken an initiative to
make Ancient Olympia the permanent venue for the Summer Games in the wake
of a major bribery scandal which has hit the Olympics, according to an ANA
despatch from Brussels. In a declaration submitted for the approval of the
European Parliament, PASOK's parliamentary group states that "the staging
of the Olympic Games in their birthplace, Ancient Olympia, on a permament
basis is the best way out of the impasse and the only viable solution". Six
members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were suspended on
Sunday for taking gifts from Salt Lake City before it won a 1995 vote
to stage the 2002 Winter Games. Four have since resigned.
Alternate FM in Cyprus
Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou leaves for Cyprus Thursday
evening to confer with Cypriot officials on the island's attempts to gain
entry to the European Union. Papandreou is scheduled to meet on Friday with
Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides, Parliament Speaker Spyros Kypranios,
Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos and Foreign Minister Ioannis Kassoulides.
He will meet Cypriot party leaders later in the day. On Saturday,
Papandreou will speak at the opening ceremony of the Cypriot National
Olympic Academy and meet Nicosia Mayor Lelos Dimitriades. On Sunday,
Papandreou will make a speech on "The role of Greece on the threshold of
the 21st century: European Union and national issues."
Cold snap on the way
The Greek Meteorological Service issued a warning of a sudden drop in
temperatures around the country on Friday evening, accompanied by storms,
snowfall and gale force winds. The service said torrential rain and storms
would be felt in the northwest of the country and in the Aegean as of
Thursday night. The weather is expected to worsen around the country as of
late on Friday, with snowfall forecast for mountainous regions as well as
in central and northern Greece. Temperatures are expected to dive suddenly,
particularly in central Greece. Winds of between 8 and 9 Beaufort are
forecast for Greek seas. The cold snap is expected to last from Thursday
evening through to early next week.
WEATHER
Cloudy weather will prevail throughout the country today with rain in
western central Greece and in the north. Snow in the mountainous regions.
Winds southerly, strong to gale force. Rain expected in Athens with
temperatures ranging between 8-16C. Similar weather in Thessaloniki with
temperatures from 4-11C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Thursday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 277.185
Pound sterling 458.344 Japanese yen (100) 242.604
French franc 48.719 German mark 163.395
Italian lira (100) 16.505 Irish Punt 405.774
Belgian franc 7.922 Finnish mark 53.748
Dutch guilder 145.016 Danish kr. 42.993
Austrian sch. 23.224 Spanish peseta 1.921
Swedish kr. 35.932 Norwegian kr. 37.021
Swiss franc 198.678 Port. Escudo 1.594
Aus. dollar 174.691 Can. dollar 182.330
Cyprus pound 549.568
(M.P.)
|
