Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-01-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] Sean Connery-Athens-Visit

[02] Sports Roundup

[03] Political Parties-Popularity Ratings

[04] Greek Prelate -- Kosovo visit

[05] Weather Forecast - Monday

[01] Sean Connery-Athens-Visit

World-renowned Scottish actor Sean Connery arrived in Athens on Sunday night, accompanied by his wife Michelin.

The purpose of his visit is to support Michelin's painting exhibition to be inaugurated at Marilena Mamidakis' "Athinais" centre on January 23.

Connery, who made no statement on arrival in Athens, had expressed his desire to visit archaeological sites in Athens.

[02] Sports Roundup

Soccer

Olympiakos Piraeus beat Aris Thessaloniki 4-1 in a match played for the Greek national soccer division on Sunday and retained its three-point lead at the top of the championship.

In other matches played over the weekend, Panathinaikos Athens edged at home Kalamata 1-0, AEK Athens beat Xanthi 2-0, PAOK Thessaloniki clinched a 2-1 away win over Panachaiki Patras and Paniliakos Pirgos subdued PAS Ioannina 1-0. Ionikos Piraeus and Iraklis Thessaloniki drew 2-2 in Piraeus, while Athinaikos Athens held Ethnikos Asteras Athens to a 2-2 draw away. OFI Irakleion and Panionios Athens will play on Monday.

Standings after 15 games played: Olympiakos Piraeus 38 points, Panathinaikos Athens 35, PAOK Thessaloniki 29, Iraklis Thessaloniki 27, AEK Athens 27, Ionikos Piraeus 26, Ethnikos Asteras Athens 21, Aris Thessaloniki 19, Xanthi 18, Panionios Athens (14 games) 16, Panachaiki Patras 14, Paniliakos Pirgos 12, Athinaikos Athens 11, PAS Ioannina 10, Kalamata 10 and OFI Irakleion (14 games) 10.

[03] Political Parties-Popularity Ratings

Prime Minister Costas Simitis continues to be considered the most suitable (45 percent) to resolve the country's problems compared to main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis (34.4 percent), according to a poll conducted by the Kappa Research company between January 10-17.

According to the poll, the ruling socialist PASOK party leads with 46.2 percent on the question of which party will win the next elections, as against 33.9 percent for ND and 5.9 percent for Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos' party.

On the question of party preferences, and on condition that Avramopoulos' party will participate in the elections, ND leads with 29.4 percent, followed by PASOK with 29.2, Avramopoulos' party 14.7, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) 4.4 and the Coalition of the Left and Progress 2.9.

If Avramopoulos' party will not participate in the next elections then ND will poll 36.8 percent, PASOK 33.2, KKE 4.7 and the Coalition of the Left 3.5.

The opinion poll also showed that 41.9 percent of respondents believe ND should cooperate with Avramopoulos' party, while 23.6 percent believe there should be cooperation between PASOK and the coalition of the Left.

The most popular politicians according to the poll are Dimitris Avramopoulos with 63 percent, Foreign Minister George Papandreou 57.9, ND Deputy Dora Bakoyianni 53.4, National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos 53, Costas Simitis 52.6 and Costas Karamanlis 51.4.

[04] Greek Prelate -- Kosovo visit

Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos returned home on Sunday after travelling to Kosovo a day earlier for a visit to Greek peacekeepers serving in the strife-torn Yugoslav province.

Christodoulos, at the head of a Greek Church delegation, landed at Skopje before travelling overland to the Urosevac township of Kosovo.

Speaking from the pulpit on Sunday to a local Athens congregation, Christodoulos spoke directly about his lightning visit to the area, referring, among others, to ?ruins and catastrophe everywhere? unemployment exceeds 45 percent. Shops arent opened, life has stopped in the region (Kosovo).?

In addressing some 250 Greek troops in Urosevac, Christodoulos indirectly touched on the ongoing controversy surrounding the issue of depleted uranium (DU) contamination in the Yugoslav province as a result of NATOs bombing, saying that ?I would not be here if I was not certain that I can tell you not to be afraid.?

Christodoulos later visited a historic Serbian Orthodox monastery in the province before being received by Serbian Patriarch Pavle.

[05] Weather Forecast - Monday

Partly cloudy skies and a chance of light rain or sleet is forecast for most of the central mainland, the Peloponnese and some islands, including Crete. In the north, temperatures will range from -04C to 08C and on the rest of the mainland from -02C to 14C. Light rain is forecast for Athens; northeasterly winds and temperatures between 04 to 11C. The same for Thessaloniki, temperatures from 1C to 8C.

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