Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-08-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] Counterfeit 50-euro bills spotted on Rhodes; 1 arrest

[02] OA approves start to talks with bidder for catering subsidiary

[03] Alleged co-founder of notorious ''November 17'' terrorist group denies

[04] Phone link devised for Athens 2004 Olympics

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Wednesday

[06] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks nose up in moderate trade

[07] Weather Forecast: Changeable on Wednesday

[01] Counterfeit 50-euro bills spotted on Rhodes; 1 arrest

The latest batch of counterfeit 50-euro banknotes to turn up in Greece was confiscated Sunday evening on the holiday island of Rhodes.

Fifty bogus 50-euro bills were found in the possession of a 54-year-old man. The suspect was inside a casino on the sunny Dodecanese island at the time of his arrest, police said.

The suspect was identified as Pavlos Katopodis, a resident of Lefkada.

The weekend incident involving forged euros comes after a spate of arrests on counterfeiting charges in northern Greece over the past two months, with press reports pointing to an organised ring in Bulgaria as the source of the bogus money.

An investigation is continuing while all relevant information was conveyed to Interpol.

[02] OA approves start to talks with bidder for catering subsidiary

The board of Olympic Airways has approved a start to contractual negotiations with Athens-quoted Everest SA, which won a sale tender for a 51-67 percent stake in Olympic Catering SA, a subsidiary of the national carrier.

The other bidder in the tender was Grigoris Snacks SA with the Veroukas Group.

If bargaining with Everest breaks down, OA is expected to begin negotiations with snack chain Grigoris and Veroukas, owner of a supermarket chain.

[03] Alleged co-founder of notorious ''November 17'' terrorist group denies charges

The jailed man authorities charge is the co-founder and leader of the notorious ?November 17? terrorist group on Tuesday again denied any involvement with lethal ultra-leftist gang.

Alexandros Giotopoulos, 58, repeated his denial in the face of multiple felony charges to a special appellate-level prosecutor, who visited him at a maximum-security cellblock at Korydallos prison.

Giotopoulos, the Paris-born son of a noted pre-WWII Trotskyist leader has been implicated as the elusive terrorist groups leader by more than a half dozen suspects arrested and also jailed at Korydallos awaiting trial.

Another meeting with prosecutor Leonidas Zervobeakos may follow in the next few days, as the alleged ?N17? ringleaders attorney charged that his client was given a copy of the indictment against him only hours before his latest deposition on Tuesday something he claimed did not allow his client enough time to prepare his statement.

[04] Phone link devised for Athens 2004 Olympics

National organisers of the Athens 2004 Olympics announced on Tuesday that they had devised a telecommunications link for the world sporting event, working with Athens-quoted Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE).

The fixed-line and mobile system, which includes internet access, will link all athletics and other sites in the games through a five-digit number, organisers said in a statement.

The system to be implemented by OTE, a sponsor of the 2004 Olympics, is expected to handle about 23,000 fixed-line phones, 9,000 mobile phones and 16,000 televisions and videos (cable), the statement added.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Wednesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 0.987

Pound sterling 0.646

Danish kroner 7.486

Swedish kroner 9.272

Japanese yen 117.2

Swiss franc 1.481

Norwegian kroner 7.413

Cyprus pound 0.578

Canadian dollar 1.551

Australian dollar 1.808

[06] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks nose up in moderate trade

The Athens bourse finished higher on Tuesday in moderate turnover, traders said.

The general share index gained 0.20 percent to end at 2,175.23 points. Turnover was 77.8 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.39 percent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 0.19 percent higher; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities 0.01 percent up.

Of 359 stocks traded, advances led declines at 206 to 84 with 69 issues remaining unchanged.

[07] Weather Forecast: Changeable on Wednesday

Changeable weather is forecast in all parts of the country, with sunny spells and scattered cloud alternating with showers and brief storms, especially on the mainland from late afternoon. Winds north-northeasterly, light to strong, turning very strong in parts of the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 17C to 28C; in the west from 19C to 32C; and in the rest of the country from 20C to 31C. Temperatures in Athens between 22C and 30C; and in Thessaloniki between 20C and 28C.

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