Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-06-11

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

CONTENTS

[01] Spanish PM hopes for quick solution to European army issue

[02] Press ministry awards for best expatriate mass media

[03] Avramopoulos announces suspension of his KEP party operation

[04] Athens Academy honours Edmund Keely

[05] Exhibition on 'The Jewish Community of Rhodes' opens June 20

[06] Exhibition to be held in New York on 'Greek ships from antiquity to the

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates - Wednesday

[08] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Wednesday

[01] Spanish PM hopes for quick solution to European army issue

Prime Minister Costas Simitis discussed the issue of the European army with his Spanish counterpart Jose Maria Aznar on Tuesday, who said later he is ''neither optimistic nor pessimistic'' over a settlement of the issue.

Speaking to reporters after his talks with Simitis at the Maximos Mansion, Aznar said they hoped a solution would be found soon, adding jokingly that ''since we are going through a World Cup period we hope to score a goal.''

He further said it is very important to ''take into consideration the sensitivities of all'', while in Simitis's view ''there is no problem which cannot be solved when there is goodwill, and because there is goodwill the proglem will be solved in some reasonable period of time.''

Aznar referred to the Seville summit on June 20-21 and its agenda. In his view, the most important issue is the adoption of a common European policy on immigration and asylum.

[02] Press ministry awards for best expatriate mass media

The press ministry on Tuesday announced the winners of its 2001 prizes for the best expatriate Greek mass media.

The four prize categories include best expatriate mass media in 2001, best 2001 news report, best press article in 2001 and the best website of the year.

The press ministry's prize for the best expatriate Greek media will be shared by 'Argo TV' in Germany, the Australian radio station 'Echo FM' and the newspaper ''Elliniki Diaspora'' in Georgia. The prize comes with a 23,478 euro cash award.

The prize for best news report, with an 8,805 euro cash award, was shared by US-based journalist Athina Krikeli and German-based journalist Efthymios Babanatsas.

The prize for best press article went to UK journalist Titos Christodoulou, working for the London Greek paper 'Paroikiaki', while the best website prize was shared by www.griego.cl site built by the Greek community in Santiago, Chile, and the www.tganews.com site developed by the Australian expatriate Greek news service TGA News. These all come with a 5,870 euro cash award.

Honorary distinctions were given to the Argentina-based radio programme Desde Grecia, the Zimbabwe magazine 'I Elliniki mas Gonia', the French radio programme IDFM-Radio Enghien/ Antenne Grecque and Ukraine journalist Anatoli Baltzi.

The winners were chosen among 67 applicants from 18 countries. The prizes will be awarded by President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos on Wednesday, June 19 in Athens.

[03] Avramopoulos announces suspension of his KEP party operation

Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos, founder and president of the Movement of Free Citizens (KEP) party, on Tuesday announced his decision to suspend the operation of his party and its tranformation into a Movement of Political Reflection and Intervention.

Avramopoulos announced the official creation of his party in March 2001 and was elected party leader at the KEP Founding Congress in Thessaloniki, in November 2001.

''The party suspends its operation but our political proposal still remains automous and will continue its contribution to our political life, far away from behind the scenes procedures and haggling,'' Avramopoulos told an emergency press conference in the evening.

He gave as reasons for his decision what he called ''the suffocating frame of polarisation'' and financial difficulties.

Avramopoulos avoided to elaborate on his future plans.

[04] Athens Academy honours Edmund Keely

The Athens Academy proclaimed writer and philhellene Edmung Keely an associate member on Tuesday night. Keely has been translating and teaching modern Greek poetry and literature at foreign universities for over 35 years.

Modern-day Greek poets became known to English-speaking readers for the first time thanks to Keely. He now shares his time between Greece and the United States, writing works inspired by Greece.

Keely thanked the Academy for the honour bestowed upon him and then referred to the issue of the cultural heritage of poet Constantine Cavafy in the United States.

[05] Exhibition on 'The Jewish Community of Rhodes' opens June 20

An exhibition titled ''The Jewish Community of Rhodes'' will be held at the island's Archaeological Museum from June 20 to July 15.

The exhibition is organised by the Jewish Museum of Greece within the framework of events held by the Jewish community of Rhodes in memory of the Jews of Rhodes who lost their lives during World War Two.

[06] Exhibition to be held in New York on 'Greek ships from antiquity to the present'

An exhibition entitled ''Greeks and the sea: Greek ships from antiquity to the present'', will be inaugurated at the branch of the Greek Culture Institute in New York on June 19.

Replicas of Greek ships from all periods of history will be on display at the exhibition which will be open until September 30.

The exhibition is being held in cooperation with the Maritime Museum of Greece which is granting replicas of ships, paintings and maps.

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates - Wednesday

Indicative tourist buying rates per euro

U.S. dollar 0.949

Pound sterling 0.648

Danish kroner 7.495

Swedish kroner 9.224

Japanese yen 119.0

Swiss franc 1.487

Norwegian kroner 7.483

Cyprus pound 0.584

Canadian dollar 1.463

Australian dollar 1.675

[08] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Wednesday

Sunshine is forecast in most parts of the country, with showers or isolated storms in the north, mainly on high ground. Winds northerly, moderate to strong, turning very strong in southern seas. On the northern mainland, temperatures will range from 16C to 29C; in the Ionian and on the rest of the mainland from 18C to 31C; and in the Aegean islands from 19C to 28C. Sunny in Athens, with temperatures between 19C and 30C. Scattered cloud in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 18C to 28C.

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