Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-08-09

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 09/08/1999 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Press report cites Clinton visit to Greece in November
• Conscription at 18 considered by gov't, newspaper reports
• Postponement of soccer games requested because of heatwave
• Shipwrecked Germans rescued by ferryboat in Aegean
• Civil servant moonlighting as 'medium, sorcerer' arrested
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Greek and US diplomats have reportedly begun consulations in preparation of US President Bill Clinton's visit to Greece in November, according to one newspaper report yesterday citing "diplomatic sources".

The press report stated "that according to diplomatic sources", the US president will be in Greece between Nov. 22-24, following his participation at an Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit, scheduled for Istanbul on Nov. 19 .

The announcement of the visit is expected to occur along with the release of an itinerary of Mr. Clinton's visit to Istanbul, the Sunday edition of "To Vima" reported in a banner-headline article.

The newspaper also reported that the visit comes in response to an invitation by Greek President Stephanopoulos, and that several major Greek- American entrepreneurs last year again conveyed the invitation. In addition, Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoris Niotis both renewed the invitation during their respective visits to Washington. The White House's response, according to the paper, "was positive", although not yet officially announced, the same diplomatic sources claimed.

In statements to the newspaper, Mr. Niotis said Greek-US relations are at a very good standing, while he declined to confirm a possible Clinton visit.

"To Vima" also reported that Foreign Minister George Papandreou, in all his contacts with US officials, constantly reiterated Athens' positive stance on both the Yugoslav issue and Greek-Turkish rapprochement.

Conscription at 18 considered by gov't, newspaper reports

A continuing decrease in the number of conscripts inducted every year into Greece's armed forces could signal the implementation of compulsory service at the age of 18, a move that would in effect abolish temporary exemptions for studies.

According to an article in the Sunday edition of "Kathimerini" yesterday, National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos (Cont. p. 2) (Continued from front page) is considering several options to counter the problem, estimated to become more acute in the near future.

The newspaper reported that inducted conscripts this year are estimated to total around 83,000, while projections for the year 2014 point to approximately 53,000.

The initial measure of induction at 18 will include a decrease in the tour of duty, from 18 months to 12 in the army; from 21 to 14 in the air force and from 24 to 14 in the navy, according to reports.

The proposed measure would also include legislation to safeguard the university entrance for conscripts that succeeded in nationwide exams.

According to the same reports, the minister will soon table the issue for discussion with political parties and youth groups. A further measure points to the hiring of more full-time non-commissioned military personnel, expected to reach 10,000 positions.

The same reports state that Greece's military leadership supports conscripts' induction at 18, considering recruits who used the exemption system and entered military service at a later date far less productive than 18 and 19-year-olds.

At a later stage, the ministry is also considering the partial conscription of women for a three-month training programme in non-combat duties, "Kathimerini" concluded.

In a related development, the defence ministry is reportedly preparing a bill to upgrade military academies to full university status.

Postponement of soccer games requested because of heatwave

Greece's union of professional footballers (PSAP) on Monday sent a letter to the Greek soccer federation seeking a postponement of all cup games scheduled for this week because of a heatwave.

In the letter, PSAP points out that there were already a number of heat- related problems in games played at the weekend, when temperatures reached approximately 38C.

According to weather forecasts, temperatures are expected to rise steadily during the week, reaching 42C and above in some areas of the country by Wednesday.

PSAP said that requiring footballers to play in conditions of high temperature and humidity placed them at risk.

Athens soccer club AEK is scheduled to play the first leg of a Champions League qualifier against AIK Stockholm in the Greek capital on Wednesday, which is also the day of the last total eclipse of the millennium.

Shipwrecked Germans rescued by ferryboat in Aegean

Two Germans whose yacht sank after hitting a rocky islet in the Aegean Sea have been rescued by a passing ferryboat.

The small yacht "Harz Aus Gold" sank last night in an area near the island of Patmos and the two Germans managed to get into a small inflatable just before it went down.

They fired two distress flares which were seen by the captain of the ferryboat "Patmos" who immediately notified the Patmos coast guard and changed course to pick up the two Germans.

Civil servant moonlighting as 'medium, sorcerer' arrested

For Mihalis Spyropoulos, 49, work as a civil servant was apparently simply a way of supplementing his income.

Authorities who arrested him on Saturday, however, charged that the Nea Halkidona distict resident had persuaded an unknown number of people that his "magical powers" for solving their various personal problems were worth anything from between 300,000 and one million drachmas.

According to reports, the suspect would furnish his "clients" with tiny hermetically sealed wooden boxes, threatening that if they opened them "this would lead to the break-up of their families."

The boxes were found to contain an array of "sinister objects", such as dead bats, magnets, hooks, animal bones and even pieces of underwear, police said.

Spyropoulos was arrested after a policewoman posed as a client. He later claimed he was a "self-taught sorcerer" and that he had been active since 1989.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Monday's rates (buying)
U.S. dollar          301.528
Pound sterling       486.814
Japanese yen (100)   263.049
French franc          49.332
German mark          165.455
Italian lira (100)    16.712
Irish Punt           410.887
Belgian franc          8.022
Finnish mark          54.426
Dutch guilder        146.844
Danish kr.            43.473
Austrian sch.         23.517
Spanish peseta         1.945
Swedish kr.           36.829
Norwegian kr.         30.001
Swiss franc          201.986
Port. Escudo           1.614
Can. dollar          201.138
Aus. dollar          197.061
Cyprus pound         559.488
Euro                 323.600

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