Mr. Karamanlis will announce measures aimed at boosting regional development through the construction of 1 billion euro infrastructure projects in Thessaloniki and northern Greece in general as well as the adoption of favorable measures for wage earners,

pensioners, businesses and farmers.

The main goal of the government is to accelerate growth rate and cut unemployment, while the new development law will offer incentives to businesses for more investments.

The new Police Building has, among others, a multiple use hall, restaurant, gas station, hairdresser's, waiting and reception areas, shooting gallery, a gym and parking areas.

The Parliament Presdent was taken to the hospital when she felt ill during events for the Paralympics Flame.

According to the hospital doctors, she will remain hospitalized today for precautionary reasons even though she has recovered completely.

In a simple ceremony, the Flame was ignited within the temple with a spark struck from an anvil with an iron bar.

Among those present at the Lighting Ceremony were President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, Greek Prime Minister, Kostas Karamanlis, Leader of the PASOK Party Giorgos Papandreou, Speaker of the Greek Parliament Anna Psarouda-Benaki, Presi dent of the International Paralympic Committee Phil Craven, President of the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, Greek government ministers, MPs, local authority officials, and Paralympic and Olympic victors.

After brief addresses by the President of OCOG, the President of the International Paralympic Committee, and the Prime Minister, a group from Sophia Spyratou's Dance Theatre 'Roes' enacted, to music and to the rhythm of the anvil, a dance sequence about the gift of fire to humankind that marked the beginning of civilization.

The Flame was then at once ignited, with strobe light effects on the Temple of Hephaestus. Six girls from the Dance Theatre dancers brought the sacred flame out of the temple in panniers. At the same time, eighty volunteer 'lightbearers' made their appea rance either side of the temple, each with fire in a terracotta pot, making a flaming river all the way down the hillside from the temple to the Paralympic altar.

Dance Theatre member Danilo Zeka lit a brand from the panniers carried by the six dancers and transmitted the flame to the altar.

The final part of the ceremony was the kindling of the first torch of the Paralympic Torch Relay at the altar. This was done by the First Torchbearer, Paralympic victor, Kostas Fykas.

Shortly afterwards, the Paralympic Games Flame had reached the Theatre of Herodes Atticus. Here the Paralympic altar was kindled by the last Torchbearer of the day, Paralympic victor Thanasis Barakas. Among those present was Athens mayor Athens Mayor Dor a Bakoyannis.

She was taken to the hospital yesterday when she felt ill during the events held on the occasion of the Paralympic Games.

Mrs. Benaki will be in Parliament in the afternoon and upon leaving the hospital stated to reporters that the doctors had suggested her to get some rest.

Of the stocks trading today, 143 had gains and 116 had losses, while the value of 144 stocks remained unchanged.

Mr. Karamanlis will stress that the time has come for regional development, while he will also say that at the center of the efforts for the development of northern Greece is the bid to host the International Exhibition EXPO 2008. In addition, Mr. Karama nlis will set specific timetables for the materialization of the projects relating to the exhibition.

The Prime Minister will refer to Greece's policy on Cyprus and the Balkans. He will point out that Athens and Nicosia want to preserve the international interest in a truly operational and viable solution in Cyprus and express the Greek government's supp ort to the European prospect of Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria.

Mr. Karamanlis will make a special reference to the need to use the experience gained from the Olympic Games in Athens mainly at an economic level.

The Prime Minister will announce that the construction works for Thessaloniki's subway will begin in the summer of 2005, while the construction of the underwater tunnel is expected to be completed in 3.5 years.

On Thessaloniki's "Macedonia" Airport, the Prime Minister will announce that by next February or March a constructor will undertake the project for the expansion of the landing runway.

Of the 1,067 exhibitors 732 are direct and 335 indirect. The exhibition covers a space of 43,399 square meters.

The international participations are Egypt, Bulgaria, Brazil, France, United States, India, Italy, China, Cyprus, Lebanon, South Africa, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Syria, Taiwan and Turkey.