|
|
|
Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-06-17
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 17/06/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Clinton call nothing unusual - gov't
- Simitis to brief president tomorrow
- German tourist found safe
- Hash haul in Crete
- Greenpeace charges high toxicity in toys
- Gov't to overhaul bourse entry
- Hope for effective osteoporosis therapy
- Weather
- Foreign Exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Clinton call nothing unusual - gov't
Greece said today that a telephone call earlier this week from US President
Bill Clinton to Prime Minister Costas Simitis concerning Athens' relations
with Ankara did not constitute pressure or intervention. "It was of the
nature of friendly advice which reflects the interest of the United States
about developments in the region," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas
said. Simitis yesterday disclosed that he had received a telephone call
from Clinton on Monday night requesting that Athens consent to a strengthening
of the European Union's relations with Turkey, since this would allow
Washington to exercise all its influence on Ankara towards normalising
Greek-Turkish relations.
Simitis to brief president tomorrow
Prime Minister Costas Simitis briefs President of the Republic Kostis
Stephanopoulos on the outcome of the EU Cardiff summit tomorrow at 10 a.m.,
government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said today. Simitis then meets with
visiting Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic, before chairing a meeting
of the interior ministry. Reppas said Simitis would also chair a joint
meeting of the ruling party's Political Secretariat and the Inner Cabinet
on Friday on the latest political and economic developments. Simitis will
also travel to Ancient Olympia on Saturday to preside over the first
meeting of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games National Committee.
German tourist found safe
A German national who abandoned his yacht in an inflatable raft after the
former developed engine trouble off Mykonos island was safe and uninjured
and had been picked up by a pleasure boat, local police authorities said.
They said Pave Ivanfi was picked up by the tourist boat "Emergi" from the
inflatable raft as it was being pushed by strong winds towards a rocky
outcropping off Aghios Konstantinos in Mykonos after his yacht, the
Anemoessa, developed engine failure.
Hash haul in Crete
Three young Greek men were today arrested in Heraklion, Crete after being
found in possession of five kilos of hashish which police believe was
smuggled into the country from neighbouring Albania. They were identified
as Emmanuel Papadakis, 23, Yiannis Papadakis, 19 and Constantine Klinakis,
20. They were arrested shortly after disembarking from a ferry-boat from
Piraeus and getting into a taxi. At a road-block near the harbour exit,
police found 5 kilos of hashish, 1.3 grams of cocaine and 18 tranquiliser
pills in a travel bag.
Greenpeace charges high toxicity in toys
Children's toys currently circulating on the Greek market contain levels of
toxic substances ranging from 20 to 50 per cent, according to a study
conducted by the Greek branch of the environmental organisation Greenpeace.
The organisation selected random samples of toys made from soft PVC and
sent them for analysis to an independent laboratory in Germany. The results
showed that the toys contained high levels of toxic phthalic compounds
which can cause serious damage to the liver and kidneys. Greenpeace
members today held a demonstration outside the Health Ministry in Athens
to demand the withdrawal of the toys from the market.
Gov't to overhaul bourse entry
Government and bourse officials met to discuss a bill on the Athens Stock
Exchange (ASE) that will overhaul entry requirements for companies seeking
listing. Among officials taking part in the meeting were National Economy
Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, new ASE president Spyros Kouniakis and the
ministry's secretary general. The bill, which is due to be circulated in
the market for feedback, will change eligibility requirements for companies
to gain entry, and alter the procedures for entry. Another meeting is
scheduled for next week.
Hope for effective osteoporosis therapy
Osteoporosis afflicts more than 200 million people - mainly women - around
the world but scientists now hope that a new drug could bring substantial
relief from the crippling condition. Three years of extensive clinical
tests of Miacalcic, a new treatment, had shown a 37 percent reduction in
bone fractures when combined with daily dosages of vitamin D and calcium,
U.S. Professor C.H. Chestnut told the 2nd International Conference on
Osteoporosis, held in Athens over the weekend. What sets Miacalcic apart
from other treatments, Chestnut said, was that it had not presented any of
the side-effects common to such treatments and that it had also had an
analgesic effect, providing pain relief to sufferers.
WEATHER
Fair weather is forecast for today with local cloud in the afternoon in the
west, centre and north of the country with the possibility of occasional
rain. Winds will be northerly moderate to strong. The temperatures will
range from 16-34 in the mainland, and 18-29 in the islands. In Athens, the
forecast is for fair weather, with cloud increasing in the course of the
day. Temperatures will range from 19-33.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Tuesday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 304.197
British pound 501.059 Japanese yen(100) 210.155
French franc 50.400 German mark 168.962
Italian lira (100) 17.157 Irish Punt 426.441
Belgian franc 8.191 Finnish mark 55.612
Dutch guilder 149.901 Danish kr. 44.372
Austrian sch. 24.016 Spanish peseta 1.992
Swedish kr. 37.742 Norwegian kr. 39.759
Swiss franc 202.770 Port. Escudo 1.650
Aus. dollar 179.220 Can. dollar 206.098
Cyprus pound 575.856
(M.P.)
|
