Athens News Agency: News in English, 00-08-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] Soccer-Panathinaikos-Champions League

[02] Mobile phone licence - Denial

[03] Trade unions - government - employment

[04] Weather Forecast-Thursday

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates-Thursday

[06] Stock Market-Close

[07] President - Condolences - Kursk

[08] Egyptian embassy-car-torched

[09] Greenpeace-arrests

[01] Soccer-Panathinaikos-Champions League

Panathinaikos Athens on Wednesday night qualified to the group stage of the European Soccer Champions League after beating Polonia Warsaw 2-1 in the second leg of the third qualifying round at the Athens Olympic Stadium.

Panathinaikos qualified 4-3 on aggregate after drawing 2-2 away in the first leg.

Panathinaikos will be the second team to represent Greece in the Champions League given the automatic entry of champions Olympiakos Piraeus in the tournament.

Attendance: 50,000.

The draw for the Champions League group stage will take place on Friday.

[02] Mobile phone licence - Denial

The government on Wednesday rejected press reports claiming that the country's fourth mobile telephone licence would be awarded to France Telecom.

The transport ministry said it was holding public consultations through the national telecommunications commission and Hellenic Post Offices on the form an international tender will take for sale of the licence.

The ministry will study the commission's findings, due for completion on August 31, and then call the tender, in which France Telecom has expressed interest.

[03] Trade unions - government - employment

The fate of talks on labour regulations between the government and trade unions appeared to hang in the balance following the tough stance adopted by the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) - Greece's largest workers' union - on Wednesday.

After a meeting of the GSEE Executive Committee on Wednesday morning, GSEE President Christos Polyzogopoulos made it clear that trade unionists would walk out of the talks starting on Thursday if the government attempted to introduce three controversial issues "through the back-door".

The three banned subjects include that of deregulating mass lay-offs, more flexible working-hour arrangements (which unions claim will lead to abolishing the eight-hour day), and "greater flexibility" in part-time employment, temporary work, insurance etc.

[04] Weather Forecast-Thursday

Sunny weather is forecast throughout the country on Thursday. Winds will be northerly, light to moderate, turning strong in parts of the Aegean. Temperatures in the Ionian will range from 22C to 38C; on the mainland from 21C to 40C; and in the Aegean from 24C to 34C. Sunny in Athens, with temperatures between 25C and 39C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures ranging from 22C to 38C.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates-Thursday

Following are indicative rates released by the central bank for the next working day.

Thursdays rates (buying)

Euro 334.691

U.S. dollar 374.500

German mark 171.125

[06] Stock Market-Close

Stocks edged down on the Athens Stock Exchange on Wednesday with the market showing signs of consolidating around current levels.

The general index shed 0.19 percent to finish at 3,751.16 points. Turnover was 71.69 billion drachmas.

[07] President - Condolences - Kursk

President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos on Wednesday issued condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the loss of the nuclear-powered submarine ?Kursk? and its entire crew.

??Let me express the profound grief and solidarity of both myself, personally, as well as the entire Greek people for you, the families of the victims and the Russian people,? Stephanopoulos letter read.

On his part, Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis also addressed a similar letter to the president of Russias Duma, conveying the condolences of Greeces Parliament deputies towards the families of the submarines crew.

[08] Egyptian embassy-car-torched

Athens police on Wednesday said that arsonists hit an Egyptian embassy vehicle at 1.30 after midnight.

An underground group self-dubbed "Anarchist Faction" claimed responsibility for the act in a telephone call to Athens daily "Eleftherotypia", not giving any reasons for the attack on the Egyptian diplomatic car, licence plate 584, which was parked in Kaisariani, a central Athens district.

There were no reports of injuries but the car was heavily damaged by the explosion that police said was caused by a self-made explosive mechanism.

[09] Greenpeace-arrests

Police on Wednesday said they had arrested 12 Greenpeace activists who were for a second consecutive day blocking the access to company trucks at a soya processing plant in protest against the import of genetically engineered products.

Seven Greeks and five foreign nationals, who had on Tuesday chained themselves to the gates of the "Soya Hellas" plant on the island of Evoia, were arrested after the company late on Tuesday filed an official complaint against them for blocking its plant's gates, the authorities said.

The group of the 12 Greenpeace activists, who had remained chained to the gates throughout Tuesday night under watch by strong police forces and a fire-truck, were on Wednesday taken to the local police station of Nea Artaki, police said.

Greenpeace in a letter to "Soya Hellas" on Tuesday had asked that the company clarify its position on the issue of genetically engineered organisms in food items and state its intention to secure natural soya for cattle breeders, the industry and the consumers.

"Soya Hellas", a leading soya importer in Greece also importing corn, wheat and other cereals, replied that the company always followed legal import procedures in accordance with Greek and European Union laws.

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