In the 19 sports will compete over 4,000 athletes from 141 countries, while 44 radio and television networks from 40 countries will broadcast the games.

Konstantinos Fikas, a Paralympic gold medallist in Sydney in the 50 meters and 100 meters freestyle in swimming will be the color bearer for the Greek team in the opening ceremony.

A total of 300,000 tickets have already been sold, while the target set is at 400,000.

International Paralympic Committee President Phil Craven is in Athens.

and three more bodies were pulled up from the bottom of the sea with the help of special robotic equipment.

A part of the helicopter fuselage was found off the coasts of Larisa, south of the scene of the accident.

The biggest part of the fuselage is at the bottom of the sea at a depth of 866 meters, 8 miles east of Sithonia, and the rescue teams believe that it will be impossible to pull it up.

The findings of the investigation concerning the delay in the time the political leadership was briefed about the accident will be out by the end of next week.

In the meeting they discussed issues concerning the common defense policy, the "ALTHEA" operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, security issues and ways to deal with international terrorism within the EU framework, as well as issues concerning the EU Battle gro ups, the Global Deployability Approach (GDA) and the European Military Police Force.

The Romanian visitors were briefed on the efforts made by Thessaloniki to host EXPO 2008, which according to Mr. Tsiartsionis will place the wider region and the quality of its farm products at the center of the international attention.

Referring to Romania's EU accession course, it was pointed out that Greece supports the efforts toward this direction.

In the 12th Paralympic Games will compete 3,850 athletes from 140 countries in a total of 19 sports.

The Paralympic Games cauldron will be lit this evening in the presence of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis.

of an investigation.

The auditing committee will submit its findings to the Parliament, the Ministry of Finance, the Prime Minister, the Justice Ministry, the Ministry of Environment, Land Planning and Public Works and the Auditing Council.

The latest findings received by the Prime Minister, also being the Culture Minister, refer to the 2001-2002 period and were submitted on April 29, 2004. The findings mention that the overall management of the company was in accordance with the law. Mr. R ousopoulos said that the inspection is still in progress and will be completed by the end of 2005.

Of the stocks trading today, 126 had gains and 150 had losses, while the value of 127 stocks remained unchanged.

Mr. Moliviatis will have meetings with his counterparts from the United States, Turkey, Russia, Egypt, Romania, FYROM, Croatia, Tunisia, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Palestinian Authority, Mozambique and Morocco.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos announced that more bilateral meetings are likely to take place in New York.

Mr. Koumoutsakos pointed out that among the goals of the Greek Foreign Minister is to continue the efforts for the promotion of the Greek bid for a seat in the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for the period of 2005-2006.

Among the issues to be discussed will be international developments with an emphasis on the Middle East. They will also discuss the activities of the Socialist International and the preparations for its next meeting to be held in Johannesburg on November

15 and 16, 2004.

The Members of the Socialist International Presiding Board will watch the opening ceremony for the 12th Paralympic Games that will be held at the Olympic Stadium in Athens this evening at the invitation of opposition party of PASOK President Giorgos Papa ndreou.

to the European Commission and asked to be informed if there is a reference on the situation of human rights in Imvros in the annual EU report on Turkey.

A delegation of Greeks from Imvros will be in Brussels next week for new meetings with European Commission officials and Euro-deputies.

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