|
|
|
Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-09-10
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 10/09/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Greek, Yugoslav FMs discuss Kosovo
- No changes planned to gov't make-up
- Transport workers warned to adapt
- 400 graves desecrated in Edessa
- Welfare services workers rally in Athens
- Four arrested with counterfeit bills
- Weather
- Foreign Exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Greek, Yugoslav FMs discuss Kosovo
Greece today said it was time to bring Yugoslavia back into the fold and
criticised sanctions against Belgrade over its stance on the troubled
province of Kosovo as not working. "Yugoslavia has to be included in
international life and a policy of sanctions is not effective," Foreign
Minister Theodoros Pangalos told reporters after meeting with his Yugoslav
counterpart Zivadin Jovanovic in Athens. Belgrade's recent positions on the
Kosovo issue are heading in the right direction, Pangalos said. Jovanovic
said Yugoslavia was determined to find a peaceful resolution to the problem,
to safeguard the rights of all the residents of Kosovo, regardless of
religion or ethnicity, and to have full respect for international and
European standards of human rights for ethnic minorities.
No changes planned to gov't make-up
The government today denied it was considering appointing a deputy prime
minister, responding to comments made to journalists by Foreign Minister
Theodoros Pangalos on Wednesday. "The foreign minister was simply
expressing some views at an informal discussion," acting government
spokesman Yannis Nikolaou said. According to press reports, Pangalos told
journalists accompanying him on his official visit to Tehran this week that
he had proposed the idea of a deputy prime minister to Prime Minister
Costas Simitis. Pangalos himself laughed off the speculation that his
comments had caused in today's press. "I thought we were talking about an
institution on a purely hypothetical level... nevertheless it is always
good to be on the front page."
Transport workers warned to adapt
Workers at Athens' heavily indebted urban transport organisations will have
to come halfway if they want to keep their jobs, Transport and Communications
Minister Tassos Mantelis said today. "The government is making a serious
effort to upgrade and modernise public transport, providing 134 billion
drachmas - at cost to the Greek taxpayer - to renew the fleet," Mantelis
said in an interview with an Athens radio station. "Workers have to
understand that if they are to continue working they will have to make
certain concessions, so as to reduce the operating cost of the companies,"
he said.
400 graves desecrated in Edessa
A young woman was arrested today after hundreds of graves were desecreated
in a municipal cemetery in Edessa, northern Greece. Sources said the woman
was psychologically disturbed and distraught at the recent death of her
mother. Police said the 32-year-old woman had caused an estimated 3.5
million drachmas of damage to some 400 graves in three hours.
Welfare services workers rally in Athens
About 300 workers at state welfare services and institutions marched
throught downtown Athens today, calling for the government to withdraw its
bill on reforming the welfare system. Workers claim that the new legislation
was attempting to change labour relations and privatise many free state
services extended to those in need. A resolution sets out objections to
institutions and welfare services coming under the jurisdiction of local
government authorities, to the creation of private companies to extend
welfare services and to possible cuts in state subsidies.
Four arrested with counterfeit bills
Police in Patras have arrested four people found in possession of 60 fake 5,
000 drachma notes. The four - George Halilopoulos, 28, and his wife
Harikleia, 45, and Yiannis Kamberis, 27, and his wife Christina, 18 - were
tracked down by police after they passed the notes while making purchases
in a number of villages in the Ilieas and Achaias region.
WEATHER
Good weather with scattered clouds in northern and central and eastern
Greece today, turning to rain or storms. Small drop in temperatures. Partly
cloudy in the central and southern regions with the posibility of rain.
Athens partly cloudy with temperatures between 20-28C. Same in Thessaloniki
with temperatures from 18-25C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Thursday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 295.517
British pound 488.798 Japanese yen (100) 215.125
French franc 50.709 German mark 169.999
Italian lira (100) 17.232 Irish Punt 425.508
Belgian franc 8.242 Finnish mark 55.929
Dutch guilder 150.705 Danish kr. 44.650
Austrian sch. 24.166 Spanish peseta 2.004
Swedish kr. 36.902 Norwegian kr. 37.021
Swiss franc 206.896 Port. Escudo 1.660
Aus. dollar 172.181 Can. dollar 193.043
Cyprus pound 575.201
(M.P.)
|
