Athens News Agency: News in English, 00-12-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] Italian Mafia-Prudentino-Arrest

[02] Greece-Turkey-EU-Funding

[03] Greek President-Expatriate Greeks-Message

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates-Monday

[05] Weather Forecast-Saturday

[06] (copy) Patriarch Diodoros - funeral

[01] Italian Mafia-Prudentino-Arrest

Greek police on Friday afternoon arrested leading Italian mafia member Francesco Prudentino, 52, while he was shopping in a supermarket in the district of Ano Toumba in Thessaloniki, northern Greece.

Italian police believe Prudentino to be a leading member of the Sacra Corona Unita mafia which is responsible for murders, extortions, gunrunning, cigarette smuggling and other criminal acts and is active in southern Italy and primarily in the cities of Brindisi and Lecce.

He did not reveal where he stayed in Thessaloniki, nor his activities in Greece. He is being held in custody at the Thessaloniki police headquarters, while processes for his extradition to Italy have already been activated. He will be brought before prosecuting authorities on Saturday. Police found and confiscated 3,500 German marks and 343,000 drachmas on him.

Prudentino had been sought in various parts of Greece over the past six months, following information provided by the Italian authorities that he was hiding in Greece and continuing his criminal activities.

Interpol had issued a red notice against Prudentino, which is usually issued for internationally dangerous wanted criminals, while an arrest warrant issued against him by judicial authorities in the city of Lecce is still pending against him since 1995 for numerous criminal acts.

According to reports, Prudentino recently moved to Greece from Montenegro, which is considered a crossroads for many cigarette smuggling operations.

[02] Greece-Turkey-EU-Funding

BRUSSELS (ANA - B. Demiris) - The 15 European Union ministers of telecommunications postponed the approval of a 135-million euro support package to Turkey after Greeces objections.

The decision was to be taken without discussion, but following Greeces objection the French presidency proposed that the approval be postponed until the next meeting of the ministers.

European Union grants to Turkey caused criticism as they coincided with the recent events in Turkish prisons, where many inmates lost their lives protesting changes in prison facilities.

[03] Greek President-Expatriate Greeks-Message

President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos on Friday addressed a message to expatriate Greeks on the occasion of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

?I would like to express my warmest wishes and the deepest feelings of love of all the Greek people for our expatriate brethren,? Stephanopoulos said.

?We watch with satisfaction your progress and prosperity in various sectors of your new homelands around the world with your ever lively national identity and love for Greece,? he noted.

The Greek president, finally, wished Greeks abroad a "merry Christmas, a happy New Year, good health, prosperity and happiness?.

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates-Monday

Indicative rates released by the central bank for the next working day.

Monday's rates (buying)

Euro 338.024

U.S. dollar 366.594

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 542.862

Irish punt 429.202

Belgian franc 008.379

Luxembourg franc 008.379

Dutch guilder 153.389

Italian lira (100) 017.457

Austrian schilling 024.565

Danish kroner 045.315

Swedish kroner 038.625

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 326.715

Swiss franc 221.851

Norwegian kroner 041.247

Cyprus pound 589.744

Canadian dollar 241.155

Australian dollar 204.099

[05] Weather Forecast-Saturday

Snow is forecast in northern and central Greece on Saturday with heavy rain and storms in the south. The bad weather will ease off late in the day. Winds northeasterly, very strong to gale force. In the north, temperatures will range from -6C to 4C; on the rest of the mainland from -3C to 8C; and in the islands from 1C to 9C. Sleet or snow in Athens, with heavy snowfall on mountains around the city. Temperatures between 2C and 3C. Snow in Thessaloniki in the morning with temperatures from -1C to 4C.

[06] (copy) Patriarch Diodoros - funeral

JERUSALEM (ANA - M. Papoutsaki) - Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem has been laid to rest in the city's Mount of Olives, as he requested, alongside his predecessors Patriarchs Benedictos and Timotheos.

The funeral service was held at the monastery of St. Constantine on Friday afternoon, and immediately afterward there was a procession through the narrow streets of the Jerusalem to the Patriarch's final resting place.

Dozens of wreaths sent by Patriarchates, Orthodox and other Christian Churches had been sent to the St. Constantine's since early in the morning. A wreath was also sent by President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.

Attending the service were Alexandria Patriarch Petros, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos, representatives from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Catholic Church, the Mormons, the Armenian Church and others.

Representing the Greek government was Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoris Niotis at the head of a Greek Parliament delegation consisting of Evangelia Schinaraki (PASOK), Eleftherios Papanikolaou (ND) and Nikolaos Gatzis (KKE).

Speaking during the funeral orations, Niotis said the Greek government would watch the elections for a new Patriarch with interest and urged the Jerusalem clergy to choose someone who would continue the Patriarchate's traditions "with burning zeal for its Greek Orthodox character."

Archbishop Christodoulos referred to the character and work of the late Patriarch, and said that he left at a crucial time for the fate of the Holy City and the fates of the Holy Sepulchre's brotherhood. "Our prayer and our wish is that a worthy successor is elected that is inspired by feelings of Hellenocentricity and will continue the 1700-year presence of Greeks in the region," he added.

The Jerusalem Patriarchate's Holy Synod is scheduled to convene on Monday to set the succession process in motion.

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