Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-06-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] Bond prices rise in moderate trade

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[03] Weather Forecast-Friday

[04] Greek stocks reverse course, end lower

[05] Greek FM: Greece will veto proposals for Turkish role in EU army

[06] Greek inflation rises to 3.6 percent in May, yr/yr

[07] Greek and British officials mark anniversary of Saunders' murder

[01] Bond prices rise in moderate trade

Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Friday finished higher in moderate trade with players focusing on 20-year paper.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 5.52 percent from 5.51 a day earlier.

The yield spread over German bunds was 45 basis points from 43.9 in the previews session.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totaled 1.16 billion euros (395.2 billion drachmas) from 1.37 billion euros (466.8 billion drachmas) a trading day earlier.

Buy orders accounted for the bulk of turnover.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Buying rates for Monday

U.S. dollar 399.426

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 551.607

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 045.344

Swedish kroner 036.257

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 330.953

Swiss franc 222.102

Norwegian kroner 042.513

Cyprus pound 587.246

Canadian dollar 262.762

Australian dollar 208.818

[03] Weather Forecast-Friday

Sunshine is forecast in many parts of the country on Friday. Winds northerly, light to moderate and locally in the Aegean strong. In the north, temperatures will range from 13C to 30C; in the rest of the mainland from 15C to 32C; and in the islands from 17C to 28C. Sunny in Athens, with temperatures between 17C and 32C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 15C to 30C.

[04] Greek stocks reverse course, end lower

Equity prices ended lower on Friday, reversing quickly Thursday's sharp rebound, as lack of follow-through buying combined with a very low turnover undermined sentiment on the Athens Stock Exchange. Traders said trading was extended by 20 minutes due to a technical fault in the electronic trading system OASHS early in the session.

The general index ended 0.75 percent lower at 2,961.05 points, off the day's highs of 3,005.40 points, for a net loss of 1.64 percent in the week.

Turnover was a disappointing 121.80 million euros, or 41.5 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.74 percent lower at 1,733.99 points, the FTSE/ASE 40 index eased 0.71 percent to 330.79 points and the FTSE/ASE SMALLCAP fell 1.85 percent to 934.23 points.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended at 277.65 points, off 0.90 percent.

[05] Greek FM: Greece will veto proposals for Turkish role in EU army

Greece will veto any proposal for the European Army that does not secure its interests, Foreign Minister George Papandreou told the Greek Parliament on Friday, in response to questions from main opposition New Democracy.

ND minister of state Yiannis Varvitsiotis had asked whether Turkey would be allowed to participate in European defence decisions.

"We rule out any sort of revision of the Nice decisions," Papandreou stressed. He was referring to the EU Summit in Nice last December, where it was agreed that decisions for the activities of the European army would be taken only by EU member-states.

According to Papandreou, the Nice decisions clearly regulate the relations of EU member-states and their partners in NATO that are not also in the EU.

[06] Greek inflation rises to 3.6 percent in May, yr/yr

Greece's annual inflation rate, measured by the consumer price index, rose to 3.6 percent in May from 3.5 percent the previous month, the National Statistics Service said on Friday.

The consumer price index rose by 0.4 percent in May from April. The NSS said the year-on-year CPI rise reflected price increases in transport, hotel, restaurants and services.

The annualised average harmonised consumer price index was 3.3 percent in April, year-on-year, the NSS said.

Greek inflation was 2.9 percent and 2.4 percent in May 2000 and May 1999, respectively.

The year-on-year increase in the consumer price index in May reflected increases of 5.7 percent in alcohol and tobacco prices, 4.6 percent in food and beverages and 4.4 percent in fuel and transport prices.

NSS also announced that the wholesale prices index rose 1.1 percent in April from the previous month for a year-on-year increase of 5.1 percent.

[07] Greek and British officials mark anniversary of Saunders' murder

A memorial service, a wreath laying ceremony but also the decision of a Greek public prosecutor to take over the case file and press charges against 'all responsible' marked the anniversary of the June 8 murder of Brigadier Stephen Saunders on Friday, who fell at the hands of the terrorist organisation 'November 17'.

A tragic figure was Heather Saunders, widow of the slain military attache killed last year while driving to work at the British Embassy. In an impassioned speech after a memorial service at Athens' Metropolitan Cathedral, she stressed that she was not alone in her suffering and that her husband had been the 23rd victim of the terrorist group.

"The dead are beyond the pain and suffering of this world. The real victims are those who are left behind, innocent women, children, parents and hundreds of other people. What cause could justify such misery?" she asked.

Among those attending the service, were two survivors of 'November 17' attacks, George Petsos and Lefteris Papadimitriou, while a speech was made by Deputy National Defence Minister Dimitris Apostolakis, who said the murder of the Brigadier had been a tragedy "for his family, for Britain and for Greece".

"One year after June 8, 2000, all of us in Greece continue to live with insurmountable grief the inconceivable cost of this terrorist act," he said.

Earlier on Friday, Heather Saunders, British Ambassador to Athens Sir David Madden and Public Order Minister Michalis Chrysohoidis attended a wreath laying ceremony and service near the spot on Kifissias Avenue where Saunders' had been killed.

Against this backdrop, Public Prosecutor George Gerakis on Friday pressed charges against Saunders' unapprehended and unknown assailants for intentional manslaughter with complicity, illegal possession and use of weapons, many counts of theft, forming a gang and illegal change of number plates.

Gerakis requested and studied the file put together by the anti-terrorism service at the request of Appeals Public Prosecutor Athanasios Kafiris, who has asked for a judicial inquiry.

Gerakis has also asked that all file documents in English be translated by the foreign ministry, after which he will assign the case to an examining magistrate.

Also monitoring the progress of the investigation will be Public Prosecutor Ioannis Diotis, who supervises the anti-terrorism service.

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