Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-08-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] Athens deserted as holidaymakers flee the city

[02] State doctors launch 48-hour strike Monday

[03] Ancient ship replica to set sail for Athens Olympics in May 2004

[04] Cypriot police on the lookout for wanted Greek terrorism suspect

[05] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Sunday, temperature edges up

[06] Bush praises Greek PM for progress on combatting terrorism

[07] PM, opposition leader welcome sprinter's historic gold

[08] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Saturday

[09] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[01] Athens deserted as holidaymakers flee the city

Athens and other urban centres were deserted on Saturday after a final wave of holidaymakers left for the islands and countryside on a traditional August exodus.

Extra planes, trains, ferries and long-distance buses were laid on to cope with the demand.

Traffic police stepped up alcohol and speed checks on drivers in the wake of a sharp rise in road accidents last month.

[02] State doctors launch 48-hour strike Monday

Doctors in state health centres and medical practices are to begin a 48-hour strike on Monday in a running dispute with the government over pay and status.

Employed by the Social Security Foundation, the doctors are seeking payment of a monthly allowance given to staff in state agencies overseen by the health ministry; and salaried status for 5,500 colleagues hired on a contractual basis.

Minimum staff will report to work during the strike to handle emergencies, as required by law.

[03] Ancient ship replica to set sail for Athens Olympics in May 2004

A replica of an ancient Greek ship found in waters off Cyprus will set sail on May 1, 2004 for the Olympic Games to be hosted by Athens three months later.

The ''Kyreneia Eleftheria'' will carry bronze to Greece for the manufacture of medals in the world event, after departing from Amathounda in Cyprus, the site of an ancient port.

In June 2004, a ceremony to present the bronze is to be held at the old Olympics stadium in central Athens.

The vessel is due for launch on November 10 this year in a ceremony attended by the president of the Greek republic, Kostis Stephanopoulos.

Two days later the ship will set sail for a short cruise off Cyprus, carrying the president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, and the head of the event's national organisers, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki.

In April 2003, the vessel is to begin a seven-month cruise to ancient Greek ports in the Mediterranean.

Construction of the ship is due to end in about a month.

[04] Cypriot police on the lookout for wanted Greek terrorism suspect

Cypriot police have mounted a search at the island republic's ports and airports for Greece's most wanted terrorism suspect in connection with the deadly November 17 group, which authorities are gradually unravelling.

Greece's request for arrest of the suspect, identified as Dimitris Koufodinas, should he surface in Cyprus was relayed through Interpol, police said on Saturday.

[05] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Sunday, temperature edges up

Sunny weather is forecast in all parts of the country, with some scattered cloud in the north, west and centre that may turn to isolated storms in the northwest. Winds southerly, moderate to strong. In the north, temperatures will range from 21C to 35C; on the rest of the mainland from 23C to 38C; and in the islands from 26C to 36C. Temperatures in Athens between 26C and 38C; and in Thessaloniki between 24C and 35C.

[06] Bush praises Greek PM for progress on combatting terrorism

US President George Bush has welcomed progress by Greece in combatting terrorism as police come close to unravelling the notorious November 17 terrorist group.

In a letter to Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Bush said the Greek government's current action against terrorism was a sign of broader cooperation between the two countries in the battle against terrorism.

The progress made in combatting terrorism would have a favourable impact on security for the 2004 Olympic Games to be hosted by Athens, he added.

[07] PM, opposition leader welcome sprinter's historic gold

Prime Minister Costas Simitis and main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis on Saturday welcomed a stunning gold-medal victory at the European atheletics championships by sprinter Konstadinos Kederis, who completed an historic treble.

Kederis, 29, won the final of the 200 metres in Munich on Friday, becoming the first man to hold the Olympic, world and European titles for his event.

He clocked 19.85 seconds, the fastest European time over the distance behind Italian Pietro Mennea, who set the continental record in 1979 of 19.72 seconds at a race in Mexico.

''I ran a divine bend,'' he told reporters after his victory. ''Of course, it's hard to say now, but I think I have a shot at breaking the European record, being the fastest European at sea level,'' Reuters news agency quoted Kederis as saying.

[08] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Saturday

Sunny weather is forecast in all parts of the country, with scattered cloud in the north that may turn to isolated storms late in the afternoon, especially on high ground. Winds variable, light. In the north, temperatures will range from 19C to 34C; on the rest of the mainland from 21C to 37C; and in the islands from 23C to 35C. Temperatures in Athens between 24C and 37C; and in Thessaloniki between 23C and 33C.

[09] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank until Monday.

U.S. dollar 0.980

Pound sterling 0.640

Danish kroner 7.487

Swedish kroner 9.386

Japanese yen 118.1

Swiss franc 1.470

Norwegian kroner 7.523

Cyprus pound 0.578

Canadian dollar 1.541

Australian dollar 1.829

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