Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-01-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Slight snowfall and local cloud on Monday

[02] PM Costas Simitis arriving in New York on January 8

[03] Minister takes steps as Athens faces worst winter since 1963

[04] Metropolitan officiates at waters sanctification ceremony

[01] Weather Forecast: Slight snowfall and local cloud on Monday

Slight snowfall and local cloud is expected in eastern and southern Greece on Monday, while the weather will be almost fair around the rest of the country. Winds light to moderate in the west and moderate to strong in the east and gale force at sea. In the north, temperatures will range from -18C to 0C; in the centre from -9C to 4C; and in the rest of the country from -3C to 7C. Local cloud and possible slight snowfall in Athens, especially in the morning. Temperatures between -3C and 3C. Fair in Thessaloniki with temperatures from -8C to -2C.

[02] PM Costas Simitis arriving in New York on January 8

NEW YORK (ANA - M. Georgiadou) - Prime Minister Costas Simitis will be arriving in New York on January 8, as part of his visit to the U.S. during which he will be meeting President George W. Bush, while on the following day he will be meeting the Archbishop of America Dimitrius and making statements to the press afterwards.

Simitis and the archbishop will then be visiting Ground Zero where the latter will hold a service for the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and Simitis will be making statements.

The prime minister will attend a reception given in his honour at a Mahattan hotel afterwards by Greece's Ambassador in the United States Alexandros Filon.

At 4 p.m. local time Simitis will hold a meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan at the organisation's headquarters, at the end of which he will be giving a press conference for Greek and foreign newsmen.

Simitis will be leaving for Washington in the evening of January 9.

[03] Minister takes steps as Athens faces worst winter since 1963

Interior Minister Costas Skandalidis, following a marathon meeting on Sunday, announced that as of 1 p.m. cars driving on the Athens-Lamia motorway can drive towards Athens and as of 2.30 p.m. in the opposite direction, on condition they are fitted with snow chains.

Skandalidis also appealed to citizens to postpone their return trip to Athens until Monday since Athenians are expected to return to Athens en masse following the Christmas and New Year's holidays and traffic jams can be expected.

He acknowledged that motorists are being inconvenienced on national motorways, adding that snow ploughs are already in use and are cleaning up the national motorway from Ritsona to Agios Stephanos and between the 70th and 90th milestone in the Iliki area.

Meanwhile, the Fire Brigade termed weather conditions "unprecedented", since Athens has not been faced with a similar situation since 1963, while many regions have become isolated either due to snow or ice covering streets.

The Eleftherios Venizelos airport in Athens remains closed, despite the fact that snow ploughs had succeeded in opening one runway at noon on Sunday. However, no flights are being carried out following a decision taken by the administrations of all Greek and foreign airline companies.

Many passengers not living in the Athens area have found themselves stranded at Athens airport over the past two days, while those desiring to return home can board the Athens-Eleftherios Venizelos buses despite difficulties faced on roads.

Trolley and urban buses are not running in Athens, the electric railway is scheduling trains from Piraeus to Neo Irakleio and the Athens Metro is operating as normal.

Weathermen are expecting an improvement in the weather as of Tuesday.

[04] Metropolitan officiates at waters sanctification ceremony

Piraeus Metropolitan Kallinikos officiated at the established sanctification of the waters ceremony in the port city of Piraeus on Epiphany Day on Sunday in the presence of President Kostis Stephanopoulos, Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis, ministers and parliamentarians.

Despite snowfall and extremely low temperatures, crowds flocked to the Akti Miaouli area where the Holy Cross was tossed into the sea after a church service was held at the local cathedral.

At the end of the Epiphany religious service, Kallinikos, assisted by President Stephanopoulos, tossed the Holy Cross into the icy waters of the port three times.

Dignitaries attending the event made no statements and went to the town hall afterwards to attend a reception given in their honour by the mayor of Piraeus.

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