Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-04-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] Italy-Athens-Bienale 2003

[02] Thessaloniki-'Culture State'

[03] Memorial services - WWII anniversary

[04] 'Tour of Athens' - Race - 2001

[05] Quakes - Moderate - West-central Greece

[06] Weather - Monday

[07] Foreign exchange

[01] Italy-Athens-Bienale 2003

ROME (ANA - L. Hatzikyriakos) - Greece will host the Bienale of Europe and the Mediterranean's New Creators in 2003, following a decision taken here on Sunday by the International Organising Committee which examined the country's relevant file.

The decision was announced by New Generation secretary general George Sakellion who, heading a delegation, outlined Greece's bid to the committee. Expressing his satisfaction he said the Greek file was complete, full and better than any other country's.

The Bienale will be taking place in Greece for the second time (it had taken place in Thessaloniki in 1986), it will be inaugurated in Athens in September, 2003, and will cost two billion drachmas.

[02] Thessaloniki-'Culture State'

Greek cultural creation will be participating in the Cultural Olympiad through the 'Culture State', an enlarged "national cultural institutions network" created in Thessaloniki over the weekend during a nationwide conference convened by the culture ministry.

The 'Culture State' will be composed of 11 cultural agency networks in each sector, including cultural organisation and management, theatre, music, dancing, cinema, books and archaeological sites and monuments.

The cultural networks are called on to develop cooperation and to create "a cultural movement to help people become familiarised with culture," Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos said during the conference.

[03] Memorial services - WWII anniversary

Events commemorating the 60th anniversary of battles along Greeces northeastern frontier against invading Axis forces -- operation 'Marita' -- were held at three sites on Sunday.

Wreaths were laid and a roll call of the fallen was read out during memorial services at the Lisse, Rupel and Nymphaio bunkers, the sites of bloody warfare in April 1941 between Greek forces and the Wehrmacht.

[04] 'Tour of Athens' - Race - 2001

In whats becoming an annual Athens tradition, thousands of local residents took to the Greek capitals streets on Sunday morning for the ?Tour of Athens 2001? foot and bicycle race.

The event is sponsored by the Athens municipality, and begins every year from the U-shaped, marble-covered Panathenian Stadium a reconstructed ancient venue that hosted the first modern Olympics in 1896.

[05] Quakes - Moderate - West-central Greece

Three moderate earthquakes jolted west-central Greece early Sunday morning, rousing local residents but causing no injuries or damages.

The first quake was recorded at 9:10 a.m. local time and measured 3.4 on the Richter scale, only to be followed two minutes later by a more formidable tremor -- 4.6 on the Richter scale. A third earthquake was recorded at 9:37 a.m., measuring 3.7.

The quakes epicentre was pinpointed in the Corinthian Gulf separating mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, approximately 10 kilometres south of the coastal town of Aigio (120 kilometres west of Athens). The same area was devastated by a 6.1 on the Richter scale earthquake in June 1995 that claimed the life of more than two dozen people.

[06] Weather - Monday

Cloudy with a possibility of thunderstorms in western and mainland Greece in the morning, moving towards the rest of the country by the afternoon. Southerly winds, moderate to strong in the Ionian; strong to gale force intensity in the Aegean. Temperatures from 5C to 15C in the north; 8C to 17C in the rest of the mainland and 10C to 19C on the islands. Rain is forecast for Athens on Easter Monday morning, clearing up heading into the afternoon; 11C to 16C. The same for Thessaloniki, 9C to 15C.

[07] Foreign exchange

Friday's buying rates

U.S. dollar 374.738

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 538.080

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 45.286

Swedish kroner 36.777

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 301.708

Swiss franc 221.065

Norwegian kroner 41.388

Cyprus pound 584.106

Canadian dollar 237.970

Australian dollar 184.109

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