Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-02-09

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Attempted smear attack boosts president's popularity, poll shows

[02] Weather Forecast: Cloudy and cooler on Sunday

[03] PASOK youth congress continues in climate of consensus

[04] Suspected case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob reported in Thessaloniki

[05] PM stresses energy policy during Revythousa gas works visit

[06] Farmers to suspend protests and regroup for Athens rally

[07] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Saturday

[08] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[01] Attempted smear attack boosts president's popularity, poll shows

Far from damaging his image, an attempt to implicate President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos in an illegal gambling scandal has actually boosted his popularity by 10 percentage points, according to a Metron Analysis poll published in the newspaper 'Imerisia' on Saturday.

Up to 88.1 per cent of those responding to the poll, which was carried out over the phone during the crucial first week of February, had a positive impression of the president and only 5.6 per cent had a negative impression.

A similar poll in September had shown only 77 per cent to have a positive opinion of the president, while 13.6 per cent had a negative opinion.

[02] Weather Forecast: Cloudy and cooler on Sunday

Cloud is forecast in the south and east of the country on Sunday, probably turning to rain in parts of Crete, the Dodecanese and Cyclades islands in the afternoon. Fair in the rest of the country in the morning turning cloudy in the northwest from the afternoon, with scattered showers possible. Winds north-northeasterly, mostly light to moderate, turning northwesterly, moderate to strong in the west from the afternoon. In the north, temperatures will range from 1C to 15C; on the rest of the mainland and Ionian from 4C to 18C; and in the islands from 9C to 16C. Light cloud over Athens, with temperatures between 7C and 16C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 3C to 16C.

[03] PASOK youth congress continues in climate of consensus

The PASOK youth group congress continued for a second day on Saturday in a low-key atmosphere, with little of the controversy that had accompanied such meetings on earlier occasions.

It is due to end on Sunday with the election of a new central council, while analysts have tipped Pantelis Kamas as the front-runner for president.

Among speakers to address the meeting on Saturday was Greek European Commissioner for employment Anna Diamantopoulou, who clarified her earlier remarks on making English a second language in Greece.

"It goes without saying that the official language would be Greek," Diamantopoulou stressed, "and nothing could be further from the truth than that Greek would be abolished as an official language in Europe."

She said her statements had merely referred to the significant comparative advantage enjoyed by those with a good working knowledge of English, which was the main language used on the Internet, in commerce, in the wider area of the Middle East and in the Balkans.

The issue was also a class one, she added, since all the better private schools offered a good standard of English.

The congress was then addressed by Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Vasso Papandreou, who referred to the upcoming local elections and also the phenomenon of corruption, pledging to stamp it out.

[04] Suspected case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob reported in Thessaloniki

Doctors in Thessaloniki reported a suspected case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) on Saturday, saying that a 70-year-old woman from Pieria had been admitted to the city's G. Papanikolaou hospital with symptoms characteristic of the disease.

They said the patient was currently undergoing further tests to confirm their initial suspicions, while they stressed that the cause was unlikely to have been the consumption of meat.

The woman was admitted to hospital a week ago suffering acute motor and psychiatric problems, while a brain scan further corroborated the likelihood of CJD.

[05] PM stresses energy policy during Revythousa gas works visit

Prime Minister Costas Simitis stressed the crucial role of energy, particularly natural gas, for the future of Greece during a visit on Saturday to the new, state-of-the-art gas works on the island of Revythousa.

After a tour of the facility, accompanied by Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, Simitis said the Revythousa station was the "technological crown" of the entire Greek natural gas grid, and that energy policy was a pivotal element of the government's strategy for a stronger Greece within Europe.

The prime minister stressed that Greece, as an enclave of peace, stability and cooperation in the Balkans and eastern Mediterranean, could become a major energy junction for the region and ensure steady and high growth over the next decade.

[06] Farmers to suspend protests and regroup for Athens rally

A nationwide meeting of farmers' unions at Tempi opted on Saturday to call an end to the current cycle of protests by the sector but warned that they had not given up the struggle and planned to come back in force in just a few days time for a rally in Athens.

Tractors will officially depart picket lines and rally points at 11:00 am on Sunday, though several have left already.

Mired in disagreement, the union representatives opted to end the protests but have arranged for another meeting on Wednesday by the Larisa agricultural cooperatives to discuss the details of the planned rally in Athens and how farmers make their way down to the capital.

Farmers at Tempi had staged no roadblocks on Saturday, though police decided to limit traffic to one lane during the course of the Tempi meeting as a precaution.

[07] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Saturday

Scattered cloud is forecast throughout the country, probably turning to rain in parts of Crete. Winds east-northeasterly, light to moderate, turning strong at sea in the south. In the north, temperatures will range from 2C to 17C; on the rest of the mainland from 5C to 19C; and in the islands from 9C to 17C. Light cloud over Athens, with temperatures between 7C and 17C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 5C to 15C.

[08] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Indicative tourist buying rates per euro until Monday

U.S. dollar 0.881

Pound sterling 0.623

Danish kroner 7.487

Swedish kroner 9.334

Japanese yen 118.4

Swiss franc 1.484

Norwegian kroner 7.894

Cyprus pound 0.580

Canadian dollar 1.406

Australian dollar 1.726

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article