Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-05-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM to visit Portugal and Malta this week, gov't spokesman says

[02] Turkish warplanes violate Greek national airspace

[03] Prince of Wales arrives in Kavala for visit to Mount Athos

[04] Launching of 'Hellas Sat' postponed for at least 24 hours

[05] Verelis, Kazamias: Hellas Sat an historic event for Greece and Cyprus

[06] Verelis, Kazamias: Hellas Sat an historic event for Greece a

[07] Weather Forecast: Hot on Tuesday

[08] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

[09] Greek stocks end lower on Monday

[01] PM to visit Portugal and Malta this week, gov't spokesman says

Prime Minister Costas Simitis, current head of the European Council, will visit Portugal on Tuesday and Malta on Wednesday for talks with his counterparts in both countries, government spokesman Christos Protopapas announced.

Briefing reporters from Corfu on Monday, he said the premier was due back in Greece on Thursday for a meeting with Interior Minister Costas Skandalidis, while on Friday he was scheduled to meet Health Minister Costas Stefanis and Foreign Minister George Papandreou.

The spokesman also referred to a conference on the social role of advertising and the electronic media taking place on Corfu, underlining that its results would be particularly significant.

Along with the results of an informal meeting EU ministers for audiovisual media on May 24-25, they would form the basis for revising the Community's 'TV without frontiers' directive, he said.

[02] Turkish warplanes violate Greek national airspace

Fifteen formations, 35 aircraft, of Turkish warplanes made an equal number of infringements of air traffic regulations in the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) on Monday which developed into 75 violations of national airspace, press reports said.

The Turkish aircraft entered the Athens FIR over eastern Aegean without submitting flight plans, which constitutes an infringement. They were recognised and intercepted by Greek warplanes, while in nine cases the interception process developed into an engagement.

The reports said eight of the Turkish aircraft recognised were armed. Greek Air Force sources believe provocations on the part of the Turkish Air Force will continue without any easing off being visible.

[03] Prince of Wales arrives in Kavala for visit to Mount Athos

Britain's Prince Charles arrived in the northern Greek city of Kavala on a flight from London on Monday, accompanied by a friend, in order to visit to the Vatopedi monastery at the semi-autonomous all-male monastic community on Mount Athos, also known as the 'Holy Mount'.

Shortly after his arrival at Kavala's 'Megas Alexandros' airport, the Prince boarded the yacht ''Rio Rita'' owned by the Latsis family at the city's port to sail to the Athos peninsula.

The length of the British royal's stay on Mount Athos has not been disclosed but it is known that he will return to Kavala on his way back to London.

[04] Launching of 'Hellas Sat' postponed for at least 24 hours

The launching of the first Greek telecommunications satellite, ''Hellas Sat'', from Cape Canaveral in Florida has been postponed for at least 24 hours due to minor problems in the rocket, officials have said.

The launching was due to take place between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Tuesday Greek time and according to reports it is expected to take place on Wednesday about the same time.

It is the second time the launching has been postponed. The first time was on March 14 due to technical reasons.

''Hellas Sat'', which will cover the telecommunications needs of Greece and Cyprus, is an Astrium Eurostar E2000+ model. The 3450 kg spacecraft will carry 30 Ku-band transponders, with an expected life of 15 years.

This first domestic satellite for the two countries will be used to provide voice, internet, video and broadcast services to European and Balkan markets.

[05] Verelis, Kazamias: Hellas Sat an historic event for Greece and Cyprus

NICOSIA (ANA/CNA) - The launching later Monday of the first greco-cypriot telecommunications satellite, ''Hellas Sat'', from the Canaveral Cape in Florida, has been described as an historic event by Greek Transport and Communications Minister Christos Verelis and Cyprus Communications and Works Minister Kyriacos Kazamias.

In an joint statement, the ministers noted that the launching of Hellas Sat, ''signals a new era for Greece and Cyprus in the Telecommunication's field, as well as their entrance in European Space Agency (ESA).'' |

''Hellas Sat, which is the result of close cooperation between the governments in Athens and Nicosia, coincides with Cyprus' EU accession, renders the two countries satellite powers and will cover Greece, Cyprus and 25 other countries of the region,'' the ministers stress in the statement.

Noting that a goal of decades has been achieved, the ministers add that with the ''Hellas Sat'', Greece and Cyprus are able now to establish their presence in the space. ''The political and economic significance is obvious for both countries,'' they add.

''Hellas Sat'' is an Astrium Eurostar E2000+ model. The 3450 kg (7603 lbm) spacecraft will carry 30 Ku-band transponders, with an expected life of 15 years.

This first domestic satellite for Greece and Cyprus will be used to provide voice, internet, video and broadcast services to European and Balkan markets.

[06] Verelis, Kazamias: Hellas Sat an historic event for Greece a

NICOSIA (ANA/CNA) - The launching later Monday of the first greco-cypriot telecommunications satellite, ''Hellas Sat'', from the Canaveral Cape in Florida, has been described as an historic event by Greek Transport and Communications Minister Christos Verelis and Cyprus Communications and Works Minister Kyriacos Kazamias.

In an joint statement, the ministers noted that the launching of Hellas Sat, ''signals a new era for Greece and Cyprus in the Telecommunication's field, as well as their entrance in European Space Agency (ESA).'' |

''Hellas Sat, which is the result of close cooperation between the governments in Athens and Nicosia, coincides with Cyprus' EU accession, renders the two countries satellite powers and will cover Greece, Cyprus and 25 other countries of the region,'' the ministers stress in the statement.

Noting that a goal of decades has been achieved, the ministers add that with the ''Hellas Sat'', Greece and Cyprus are able now to establish their presence in the space. ''The political and economic significance is obvious for both countries,'' they add.

''Hellas Sat'' is an Astrium Eurostar E2000+ model. The 3450 kg (7603 lbm) spacecraft will carry 30 Ku-band transponders, with an expected life of 15 years.

This first domestic satellite for Greece and Cyprus will be used to provide voice, internet, video and broadcast services to European and Balkan markets.

[07] Weather Forecast: Hot on Tuesday

Hot, sunny weather is forecast in all parts of the country, with some scattered cloud. Winds variable, light. On the mainland, temperatures will range from 14C to 34C; in the centre and south up to 35C; and in the islands from 17C to 31C. Temperatures in Athens between 18C and 35C; and in Thessaloniki from 15C to 34C.

[08] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.169

Pound sterling 0.725

Danish kroner 7.484

Swedish kroner 9.267

Japanese yen 136.1

Swiss franc 1.525

Norwegian kroner 7.938

Cyprus pound 0.591

Canadian dollar 1.623

Australian dollar 1.801

[09] Greek stocks end lower on Monday

Greek stocks ended lower in the Athens Stock Exchange on Monday pressured by renewed selling in blue chip stocks and in particular Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation's shares.

The general index fell 0.46 percent to end at 1,704.88 points, negatively affected by a 5.50 percent fall in National Bank's share price (its shares were traded ex-dividend).

Turnover was a low 72.1 million euros. The Textile, IT Solution and Holding sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (2.58 percent, 1.96 percent and 1.09 percent, respectively), while the Food-Beverage (2.08 percent), Banks (1.98 percent) and Insurance (1.15 percent) sectors suffered the heaviest losses.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks dropped 1.01 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index fell 0.33 percent, the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index eased 0.48 percent and the wider FTSE/ASE 140 index eased 0.74 percent.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 196 to 101 with another 58 issues unchanged.

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