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Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-12-24Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr>NEWS IN ENGLISHAthens, Greece, 24/12/1999 (ANA)MAIN HEADLINES
NEWS IN DETAILPolice arrest suspected terroristSuspected terrorist Avraam Lesperoglou, one of the most wanted men in Greece, was arrested by security police shortly after landing at Athens Airport with a forged passport, police said Friday. Lesperoglou, 44, arrived on an Air France flight from Amsterdam via Paris with a passport under the name Emmanuil Britzolakis, 36, from Iraklion, Crete, and a resident of Athens. He has been on the run since 1985. Charges were drawn up against Lesperoglou for forgery, and he will be arraigned before an investigating magistrate later today. Lesperoglou is believed to be the closest associate of convicted terrorist and Anti-State Struggle member, George Balafas. Greece, Albania sign tourism pact The tourism boards of Greece and Albania on Friday signed a cooperation agreement in Athens in a bid to boost bilateral economic relations and further improve the good-neighbourly climate between the two countries. The accord, signed by National Tourism Organisation of Greece (EOT) president Yannis Stephanidis and Albanian ambassador to Greece Kastriot Robo. Albania's national economy and privatisation minister Zef Preci was also in Athens for the signing. The accord provides for exchanges of information and statistics,and promotion of advertising programmes. Torrential rain beats down on Crete Torrential rain early on Friday caused serious problems to various regions in Iraklion, Crete. Subsidence was noted on the Iraklion-Rethymno road at two junctions, while the fire department was called in to a number of incidents of rain flooding basement apartments in the Cretan city. The swirling waters swept away a number of cars on the roads but no person was reported injured. Flooding of roads and homes in the neighbourhood of Hanioportas was also reported, due in part to the waters overflowing at works under way by the municipal sewage company. Russian woman killed in balcony jump A 60-year-old Russian woman was fatally injured when she jumped from a 4th floor apartment to escape a fire that broke out in the Athens flat, police said Friday. They said Kalina Sabrilina panicked when the fire broke out at 3:00 a.m. in the 4th floor home in the Ano Patisia residential district of Athens, where she was employed as a live-in domestic helper, and jumped off the balcony. Sabrilina was rushed to hospital in critical condition, but doctors were unable to save her. The Fire Department is investigating the causes of the blaze. Greek equities recover, but still pressured Greek stocks remained under strong pressure on the last session before Christmas although some selective buying in blue chip stocks in the bank sector helped the general index to a slight recovery on Friday. The index ended 0.26 percent higher at 4,801.76 points, off the day's lows of 4,646 points. Turnover was 300 billion drachmas reflecting block trades worth 133 billion drachmas. The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks plunged 7.75 pct to 1,200.46 points, while the FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 2.04 percent to 2,605.75 points. The FTSE/ASE MID 40 index fell 4.30 percent to 785.64 points. Central bank cuts Lombard rate In an unexpected Christmas Eve move, the Bank of Greece on Friday announced a 0.75 percentage point reduction in its Lombard rate, from the current 12.25 percent to 11.50 percent. The central bank had cut intervention rates by the same amount on December 15. The bank said its move on Friday aimed at facilitating commercial banks in any possible liquidity problems they may face in the wake of the millennium bug problem, such as consumers withdrawing large amounts of cash for fear of possible malfunctions in their accounts. It said that the reduction also aimed at minimising the fluctuations in short-term rates on the interbank market. WEATHERRain and snowfall in most parts of Greece today with an improvement expected in the mainland later in the evening. Northerly strong winds in the Ionian and Aegean seas. Athens will be cloudy with rain and light snowfall with temperatures from 2-10C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 1-5C.FOREIGN EXCHANGEFriday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 325.118 Pound sterling 523.439 Japanese yen (100) 320.287 French franc 49.998 German mark 167.686 Italian lira (100) 16.938 Irish Punt 416.430 Belgian franc 8.130 Finnish mark 55.160 Dutch guilder 148.824 Danish kr. 44.112 Austrian sch. 23.834 Spanish peseta 1.971 Swedish kr. 38.331 Norwegian kr. 40.763 Swiss franc 205.046 Port. Escudo 1.636 Can. dollar 219.768 Aus. dollar 208.836 Cyprus pound 570.579 Euro 327.965(M.P.) Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |