Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-10-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Sunday

[02] Forbes, Fortune rank Gianna among world's top women managers

[03] Briton wanted for UK murder arrested on Crete

[04] Five shipworkers killed in blast during tanker repairs (ADDS arrests)

[05] Greece backs fair play in combatting terrorism

[06] Greek defence official observes Cypriot exercise

[07] Police seize drugs from the Netherlands, make four arrests

[08] Main opposition leader calls for tough line on terrorism

[09] Illegal immigrants detained off Tinos

[10] Five shipworkers killed in blast aboard docked tanker (UPDATES)

[11] Shipworker found dead after blast in docked tanker, four missing

[12] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Saturday

[13] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[01] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Sunday

Scattered cloud is forecast throughout the country on Sunday, turning to showers in the northwest late in the night. Early morning visibility will be limited. Winds north-northwesterly, light to moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from 9C to 25C; on the rest of the mainland from 13C to 27C; and in the islands from 15C to 25C. Light cloud in Athens, with temperatures between 14C and 26C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 12C to 25C.

[02] Forbes, Fortune rank Gianna among world's top women managers

Forbes and Fortune magazines have ranked Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, chief of the national organising committee for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, among the world's top 50 women managers.

Taking 46th place, Angelopoulos-Daskalaki managed to persuade the International Olympic Committee to trust Greece as host for the Games; and she manages about 2.0 billion US dollars in funds, the magazines said.

[03] Briton wanted for UK murder arrested on Crete

A Briton wanted for murder in the United Kingdom was arrested in Hania, Crete on Saturday after a tip from Interpol, police on the holiday island said.

A UK court had issued an arrest warrant on October 18 for the man, identified as John Anthony Mols (phonetic spelling), and British authorities are seeking his extradition.

The Briton is wanted in connection with a murder in Brentford on September 27, police said.

He was arrested after Interpol kept tabs on his girlfriend, identified as Chantal Scarot (phonetic spelling) who flew to Iraklio, Crete from the UK on Saturday and then travelled to Hania, where she met the suspect in Hania bus station.

[04] Five shipworkers killed in blast during tanker repairs (ADDS arrests)

Five shipworkers were found dead in a tanker undergoing repairs on the island of Salamina on Saturday following an explosion aboard ship, the merchant marine ministry said in a statement.

The Bahamas-flagged Sailor was without its crew at the time of the blast, which may have been caused by gas ignited during welding operations, sources said.

An engineer supervising the work was injured in the explosion. He was not listed in critical condition.

Arrested were the ship's captain, three senior officials of Good Work, the ship repairs company, and an official who gave the vessel clearance for hazardous gases.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the blast.

[05] Greece backs fair play in combatting terrorism

BRUSSELS (ANA/G.Zitouniati) - Foreign Minister George Papandreou said that Greece backed European values of democracy, social equity, protection for human rights and transparency in combatting terrorism.

Papandreou was speaking at a European Union summit in the Belgian capital on how the 15-nation bloc should deal with terrorism. Also taking part in the Friday meeting were candidate and affiliate countries of the EU, including Cyprus.

The minister welcomed a pioneering approach by the EU to offering humanitarian aid and resolving regional problems.

"The EU stands as a model, an alternative to the ideology of terrorism," Papandreou said.

"It is pointing the way to co-existence among cultures and should work as a basis for inspiration for other countries. Cyprus could be a model of this co-existence, where Greek Cypriot Orthodox (Christians) and Turkish Cypriot Moslems could live peacefully together within the EU," he noted.

The minister also commended the role of the United Nations, saying that cooperation should be based on Security Council resolutions.

Furthermore, Papandreou said that Greece and Cyprus had coordinated effectively in tackling crime and terrorism, especially in the search for suspects and bank accounts linked to money laundering.

"Greece and Cyprus are cooperating closely in combatting terrorism and have received honorable mentions for their efforts so far," the minister added.

In a joint news conference with Papandreou, Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said that religions should not be blamed for terrorism, which was an act against the whole of civilisation.

[06] Greek defence official observes Cypriot exercise

NICOSIA (ANA) - Greek Deputy Defence Minister Dimitris Apostolakis on Saturday observed the second phase of Nikiphoros, a Cypriot military exercise held outside the capital.

Apostolakis told reporters that the National Guard was fully able to perform its function of defending Cyprus' sovereign rights.

The Cypriot defence minister, Socrates Hasikos, welcomed Apostolakis' attendance at the exercise as evidence of Greece's support for Cypriot Hellenism.

[07] Police seize drugs from the Netherlands, make four arrests

Police have seized a major haul of drugs in Athens and made four arrests in what could be a breakthrough in penetrating a trafficking ring importing narcotics to Greece from the Netherlands, authorities said on Saturday.

Confiscated were 30,000 ecstasy pill weighing 5.2 kilos, 1.1 kilos of cocaine and a small quantity of unprocessed cannabis; along with cash, precision scales and a jeep used by one of the arrested, Attica police authorities said in a statement.

The drugs stash was imported from the Netherlands by the four Greeks, whose arrest may lead to penetration of the trafficking ring.

The prime mover of the drugs appeared to be Christos Kalfas, 33, one of the arrested, the statement said.

It was the second largest haul of ecstasy found in Greece after 52,290 pills were seized in the northern port city of Thessaloniki in September 2000, police said.

[08] Main opposition leader calls for tough line on terrorism

The leader of the New Democracy (ND) main opposition party, Costas Karamanlis, on Saturday called for a tough response to terrorism that would counter the theat to innocent people and to democracy itself.

In addition, Karamanlis said he backed intervention by the European Union in regional crises; and favoured enlargement both of the EU and of NATO, moves in which Greece should take an active part.

"The times have left no leeway for passive observers. The victors are those who help to shape events, and Greece can certainly take part on the political and diplomatic levels," he said.

The ND leader was addressing a meeting of the European Women's Union.

He told delegates that incorporation of the principle of gender equality into all EU policy was a gain that should be supported at every opportunity.

[09] Illegal immigrants detained off Tinos

Authorities detained 165 illegal immigrants and two crew members in a ship stranded off the Aegean island of Tinos, the merchant marine ministry said on Saturday.

The mostly Kurdish illegal immigrants including eight women and six children were found aboard a UK-flagged wooden sailing ship on Friday night by a Harbour Corps. patrol, the ministry said in a statement.

The two crew members were Romanian.

Authorities seized the vessel in the island's port where it was towed by a fishing boat and the Harbour Corps patrol after suffering a mechanical fault, the statement said.

Since January 1, the Harbour Corps. has detained 4,681 illegal immigrants and 97 migrant traffickers or crew members, also seizing 77 vessels, the ministry said.

[10] Five shipworkers killed in blast aboard docked tanker (UPDATES)

Five shipworkers were found dead in a tanker docked for repairs on the island of Salamina on Saturday following an explosion aboard ship, port authority sources said.

The Bahamas-flagged Sailor was in the ship repair yard near Piraeus when the blast occurred, apparently caused by gas that was ignited during welding operations, the sources said.

Injured in the explosion was an engineer supervising the work.

[11] Shipworker found dead after blast in docked tanker, four missing

A shipworker was found dead in a tanker docked for repairs on the island of Salamina following an explosion aboard ship on Saturday, and four others were trapped in the blaze, port authority sources said.

The Bahamas-flagged vessel was docked in the repair yard off Piraeus when the blast occurred early in the afternoon, apparently caused by gas that was ignited during work by the five welders, the sources said.

Injured in the explosion was an engineer supervising the repairs.

Firefighters and port authority officials were working to rescue the four welders and extinguish the blaze.

[12] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Saturday

Scattered cloud is forecast throughout the country on Saturday, likely to turn to showers in the southern Peloponnese and Crete. Winds northerly, light to moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from 8C to 24C; on the rest of the mainland from 12C to 27C; and in the islands from 16C to 26C. Light cloud in Athens, with temperatures between 12C and 25C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 12C to 24C.

[13] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Indicative tourist buying rates until Monday

U.S. dollar 375.192

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 540.924

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 045.453

Swedish kroner 035.688

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 309.829

Swiss franc 228.752

Norwegian kroner 042.417

Cyprus pound 588.463

Canadian dollar 237.970

Australian dollar 189.981

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