Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-01-20

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Obstacles don't negate need for structural changes - Merger collapse

[02] Australian PM supports return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece

[03] PM says October local elections a 'decisive political battle'

[04] Weather Forecast: Fine weather, with local cloud, on Monday

[05] Digital Minoan ship soon to set sail in cyberspace

[06] Weather Forecast: Cloudy, occasional showers on Sunday

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[01] Obstacles don't negate need for structural changes - Merger collapse reax

Any obstacles and difficulties do not negate the necessity for structural changes and denationalisations, Greece's national economy and finance minister Nikos Christodoulakis said late Saturday on the heels of the collapse of a planned merger between state-run National Bank, Greece's largest banking institution, and Alpha bank, the country's largest private bank.

At the same time, the main opposition New Democracy party called for the resignation of National Bank governor Theodoros Karatzas, while governmenht spokesman Christos Protopapas said the government assessed that the merger collapse would not create a negative climate for the economy.

[02] Australian PM supports return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece

MELBOURNE (ANA) - Australian Prime Minister John Howard has reiterated his support for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, adding that he would bring up the issue with his British counterpart Tony Blair at the British Commonwealth Summit in Brisbane early in March.

In a letter to the committee "Australians for the Return of the Parthenon Marbles," the Australian prime minister underlined that he viewed the Marbles as "an unreplacable part of Greek cultural heritage," which he said should be returned to Greece.

Taking part in the committee, headed by David Hill, are former Austrlain prime ministers, state prime ministers, party leaders, ministers, deputies senators and other distinguished Australians.

[03] PM says October local elections a 'decisive political battle'

The local elections in October 2002 would be a decisive political battle for the progress and development of each municipality and prefecture, Prime Minister Costas Simitis told a meeting of PASOK's Central Committee on Saturday.

The result would not be a referendum as many claim, Simitis added to the committee members, as they convened for the second day to discuss strategy in the upcoming local elections.

The prime minister said the ruling party would work toward rallying the forces of the wider progressive area, both on a central and local level, and put together a proposal for victory and development for local communities.

Two very different proposals for local government would be judged at the next elections, Simitis stressed, one progressive and the other conservative.

The first was local government that was active, creative and wanted to improve local communities and give more opportunities to citizens, while the other wanted local government to serve party political and personal ends.

The prime minister also stressed that the choice of people that would represent this creative local government was of the utmost importance.

"These people must have the ability to take advantage of the many opportunities that exist to improve conditions in each municipality and prefecture," he said.

[04] Weather Forecast: Fine weather, with local cloud, on Monday

Fine weather is forecast throughout the country on Monday, with local cloud in Thrace and the islands of the eastern Aegean. Variable north-northwesterly winds, turning to strong locally in the Aegean, and temperatures ranginf from -3 to 9 C in the north, -1 to 15 C in the rest of the mainland, and 3-14 C on the islands. Athens will be sunny, with temperatrues of 6-13 C. The same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures of 0-8 C, and limited visibility early in the morning.

[05] Digital Minoan ship soon to set sail in cyberspace

A digital Minoan ship will soon be sailing in cyberspace, under an Experimental Marine Archaeology programme and thanks to digital technology.

The digital replica of this unique example of ancient island shipbuilding was presented Sunday at the War Museum in Athens by the scientific research team conducting the programme "Reconstructing the Minoan Ship", in cooperation with the Maritime Museum of Crete.

The scale model is nearly completed, and the next step will be to create a full-scale digital model.

[06] Weather Forecast: Cloudy, occasional showers on Sunday

Scattered cloud and occasional showers are forecast in the east of the country on Sunday, with storms possible in the southeast, clearing up later in the day. Light cloud in the rest of the country, getting heavier in the northwest from the afternoon. Winds northerly, moderate to strong, rising to very strong over the seas in the south. In the north, temperatures will range from -1C to 7C; in the Ionian and on the rest of the mainland from 5C to 13C; and in the Aegean islands from 9C to 15C. Sunny in Athens with temperatures between 7C and 12C. Cloudy in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 2C to 7C.

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Indicative tourist buying rates per euro until Monday

U.S. dollar 0.888

Pound sterling 0.619

Danish kroner 7.490

Swedish kroner 9.319

Japanese yen 118.02

Swiss franc 1.481

Norwegian kroner 7.973

Cyprus pound 0.581

Canadian dollar 1.433

Australian dollar 1.726

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article