Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-06-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] SARS test results on Chinese businessman negative

[02] ATHOC president says Athens will be ready for the 2004 Olympic Games

[03] Taxis back on the road Thursday after 48-hour strike

[04] Gov't to decide whether PPC should up electricity rate

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

[06] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Thursday

[07] Greek stocks rebound strongly on Wednesday

[01] SARS test results on Chinese businessman negative

Tests concerning a 36-year-old Chinese marble trader suspected of

having Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) -also known as atypical pneumonia- have proved negative.

The results were sent on Wednesday to the office of Health and Welfare Minister Costas Stefanis from a Hamburg institute.

The trader, identified as Lin, is currently being treated in Thessaloniki's Papanikolaou Hospital.

The Chinese businessman, who arrived in Kavala, northern Greece on June 21, was initially proved positive of having SARS. The tests were conducted at the laboratory of Thessaloniki University and because the tests showed positive results, samples were also sent to the special laboratory in Hamburg for confirmation.

However, to finally rule out SARS on the basis of laboratory results, proof of negative serology is required after completion of the third week of symptoms.

[02] ATHOC president says Athens will be ready for the 2004 Olympic Games

PARIS (ANA/O. Tsipira) - ''Athens will be ready in everything within the next 14 months for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games,'' Athens 2004 Olympic Games Organising Committee (ATHOC) President Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki said here on Wednesday at an event organised by the television channel ''EuroSport''.

Among those attending the event was also International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge who termed the Games in Athens as important and historic. He expressed the conviction that all will go well and wished Athens every success.

The ATHOC president referred to the benefits the city of Athens will have from the Games, assuring that all will be ready for the Games.

Also attending the event were school children involved in sport as well as athletes.

[03] Taxis back on the road Thursday after 48-hour strike

Taxi drivers are to end their 48-hour nationwide strike on Thursday at 0500.

The stoppage that began on Tuesday was to protest against a government order for the installation of electronic cash registers in their vehicles.

The finance ministry wants to see the receipt-issuing cash registers in place from January 1, 2004 in order to curb tax evasion.

The system already exists in most European countries, the ministry has said.

[04] Gov't to decide whether PPC should up electricity rate

The government will await a recommendation from the energy regulatory commission on whether to allow Athens-quoted Public Power Corporation (PPC) to hike electricity rates by 4.0 percent.

Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos told reporters on Wednesday that the government would use political as well as financial criteria in its decision.

If a rate hike was ordained, it would not come into effect as soon as July 1 as requested by the PPC, the minister said.

He added that a rate increase in line was inflation was likely.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.164

Pound sterling 0.697

Danish kroner 7.484

Swedish kroner 9.226

Japanese yen 136.7

Swiss franc 1.544

Norwegian kroner 8.305

Cyprus pound 0.589

Canadian dollar 1.575

Australian dollar 1.740

[06] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Thursday

Sunshine is forecast in all parts of the country. Winds northerly, light to moderate, turning strong in parts of the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 19C to 35C; on the rest of the mainland from 20C to 37C; and in the islands from 23C to 34C. Temperatures in Athens will range between 23C and 37C; and in Thessaloniki from 22C to 34C.

[07] Greek stocks rebound strongly on Wednesday

Greek stocks rebounded strongly on Wednesday as selective buying, particularly for bank stocks, pushed the market higher reversing a five-day decline in the Athens Stock Exchange.

The general index rose 1.34 percent to end at 1,906.51 points, with turnover an improved 192.4 million euros.

The Publication, Bank and Industrial sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (10.47 percent, 1.98 percent and 1.30 percent, respectively), while the Textile, IT Solution and Insurance sectors suffered the heaviest losses (3.06 percent, 2.33 percent and 1.42 percent, respectively).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 1.61 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 1.14 percent higher, while the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index eased 0.24 percent.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 161 to 152 with another 46 issues unchanged.

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