Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-05-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[02] Weather Forecast: Cloud, storms on Saturday

[03] Greek stocks end week 2.5 percent lower

[04] Ex-PM dismisses 'dirty money' charges; calls for probe of PASOK

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Indicative tourist buying rates per euro until Monday

U.S. dollar 0.926

Pound sterling 0.637

Danish kroner 7.496

Swedish kroner 9.185

Japanese yen 115.8

Swiss franc 1.469

Norwegian kroner 7.503

Cyprus pound 0.583

Canadian dollar 1.427

Australian dollar 1.671

[02] Weather Forecast: Cloud, storms on Saturday

Cloud is forecast in all parts of the country turning to rain or storms, except for Thrace and the northeast Aegean, which will remain dry. Winds variable, moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from 14C to 25C; in the west 18C to 24C; and in the rest of the country from 15C to 27C. Rain or a storm likely in Athens from late afternoon, with temperatures between 17C and 27C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 14C to 25C.

[03] Greek stocks end week 2.5 percent lower

Greek stocks ended lower the last trading session of the week, as profit taking overshadowed some selective buying of blue chip stocks in the Athens Stock Exchange on Friday.

The general index fell 0.71 percent to end at 2,329.59 points with turnover a low 79.5 million euros.

The Bank sector was the only one to score gains (0.32 percent), while the Construction, Insurance and IT Solution sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (1.88 percent, 1.71 percent, and 1.55 percent, respectively).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks eased 0.39 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index fell 0.81 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index dropped 1.16 percent.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 255 to 66 with another 39 issues unchanged.

The general index ended the week with a net loss of 2.5 percent.

[04] Ex-PM dismisses 'dirty money' charges; calls for probe of PASOK

Former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis on Thursday countered standing accusations against him by ruling PASOK which alleges that an offshore company illegally financed the ex-premiers New Democracy party by stressing that PASOKs finances should also be the focus of a judicial inquiry.

Mitsotakis, a veteran Greek politician who is also the main opposition partys honorary president, noted that ?there cannot be a prosecutors investigation only in one of the (two major) parties. A judicial inquiry into the other (partys finances) will also take place, and this issue will begin immediately after were finished.?

Mitsotakis also dismissed the possibility of undeclared funds being funnelled via the Liberia-registered Mayo Corp.s account into NDs coffers, saying: ?were certain, but wait for this to be proven by the judicial investigation as well.?

Moreover, he said the main opposition is doing everything in its power to assist in the investigation by handing over all relevant information.

?I hope PASOK shows the same eagerness when its own accounts are investigated, because theres definitely a certainty that dirty money is being funnelled there,? he charged.

Gov't reaction

In a later reply, the government spokesman noted that the current investigation involving Mayo is being directed by a public prosecutor and is based on information supplied by PASOK secretary Costas Laliotis.

''PASOK does not have anything to hide or be afraid of. Whoever has information about PASOK should provide them to the judiciary,'' spokesman Christos Protopapas said, before expressing his wishes towards the former prime minister for a speedy recovery from the current health problem he is facing.

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