Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-02-14

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

CONTENTS

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[02] Weather Forecast: Light cloud, showers on Friday

[03] Premier recounts gov't's successes, rebuts criticism on gov't actions

[04] Greek stocks end slightly up in thin trade

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Indicative tourist buying rates per euro

U.S. dollar 0.876

Pound sterling 0.614

Danish kroner 7.488

Swedish kroner 9.265

Japanese yen 115.8

Swiss franc 1.494

Norwegian kroner 7.841

Cyprus pound 0.580

Canadian dollar 1.393

Australian dollar 1.699

[02] Weather Forecast: Light cloud, showers on Friday

Light cloud is forecast in all parts of the country, turning to showers after noon mainly in the centre and north. Snow may fall on high ground in the north from evening. Early morning visibility will be limited. Winds east-southeasterly, moderate, turning very strong in parts of the Aegean later in the day. In the north, temperatures will range from 4C to 13C; on the rest of the mainland and Ionian from 6C to 18C; and in the islands from 7C to 19C. Scattered cloud in Athens, with temperatures between 8C and 17C. Same in Thessaloniki, where it may also rain. Temperatures from 7C to 13C.

[03] Premier recounts gov't's successes, rebuts criticism on gov't actions

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Thursday recounted the success of the government and called on his ministers to rebut all criticism with data proving the progress made in all sectors.

Briefing the press on the cabinet meeting, government spokesman Christos Protopapas said that the premier stressed the success of the government in introducing the euro, the high rate of economic development and the good progress of the projects related to the third community support framework fund.

The premier also noted that inflation rose mostly due to the bad weather conditions and is expected to decline once again during the coming months, Protopapas said.

Speaking on the draft legislation for the ownership status and the code of conduct for the electronic mass media - which was the major topic of the cabinet meeting's agenda - Protopapas said that Simitis stressed that this issue concerns a basic institution of democracy, which plays the role of controlling the checking on authority, baring freedom but also giving birth to the obligation of responsibility on the part of the media, so as to avoid misuse of power.

Simitis also spoke to his ministers of the time table for the government's actions, saying that "until September the social security issue will have progressed, along with the tax system reform, the preparation for the Greek presidency of the European Union and the third community support framework fund projects.

[04] Greek stocks end slightly up in thin trade

Equity prices moved sideways in subdued trading conditions on the Athens Stock Exchange on Thursday, in a market characterised by lack of buying interest and liquidity shortage.

The general index ended 0.01 percent higher to 2,494.91 points, its first positive close after nine consecutive sessions of decline. Turnover was a low Dr 29.36 billion, or 86.18 million euros.

THe IT Solutions and Food-Beverage sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (0.87 percent and 0.74 percent, respectively, while the Retail, Insurance and Telecoms sectors suffered the heaviest losses (1.33 percent, 0.80 percent and 0.53 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.12 percent higher, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index rose 0.19 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 0.12 percent higher. The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended 0.78 percent up.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 176 to 106 with another 77 issues unchanged.

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