Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-06-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] Gov't presents programme for building facade overhaul around Olympic

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

[03] Weather Forecast: Sunny on Tuesday

[04] Greek stocks end lower on Monday

[01] Gov't presents programme for building facade overhaul around Olympic venues

Environment Minister Vasso Papandreou on Monday presented her ministry's programme for the ministry-subsidised repair and aesthetic overhaul of building facades along routes near Olympic Games venues.

The aim of the programme is to accelerate and intensify efforts to improve the city's overall image and restore its appeal in view of the Athens Olympics in 2004.

One of the key drives in this effort targets advertising billboards, which are considered a hazard to drivers because they distract their attention and aesthetically unsuited to the new image of the city.

She said the last billboards will have been removed by August 31.

Papandreou said the ministry was currently giving priority to basic Olympic routes and areas. Specifically, she named the major routes cutting across several areas, such as Synggrou Avenue, Mesogion Avenue, Iera Odos, roads within the Athens municipality, such as Ardittou, Akadimias and Alexandras Avenue, and the routes of the cycling road race in the centre of Athens, Piraeus, Nikaia and Maroussi.

Also present at the press conference was Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni, who urged Athens residents to cooperate in making Athens more attractive and human, as well as representatives of the Athens Olympics organising committee ATHOC, the Interior ministry and other municipalities and public bodies involved.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.151

Pound sterling 0.698

Danish kroner 7.489

Swedish kroner 9.322

Japanese yen 138.4

Swiss franc 1.566

Norwegian kroner 8.359

Cyprus pound 0.591

Canadian dollar 1.563

Australian dollar 1.725

[03] Weather Forecast: Sunny on Tuesday

Hot, sunny weather is forecast in all parts of the country. Winds northerly, moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from 21C to 39C; on the rest of the mainland from 20C to 37C; and in the Aegean islands from 23C to 35C. Temperatures in Athens will range between 24C and 37C; and in Thessaloniki from 22C to 36C.

[04] Greek stocks end lower on Monday

Greek stocks ended lower the first trading session of the new week in the Athens Stock Exchange on Monday, hit by a wave of profit taking in small and medium capitalisation stocks.

The general index dropped 0.50 percent to end at 1,892.04 points, with turnover a moderate 124.3 million euros.

The Construction, Insurance and Food-Beverage sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (4.03 percent, 1.61 percent and 1.58 percent, respectively), while the IT Solution, Metal and Investment sectors scored the biggest percentage gains (3.41 percent, 1.55 percent and 0.56 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks fell 0.29 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index eased 0.75 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 1.15 percent down. The wider FTSE/ASE 140 index eased 0.46 percent.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 230 to 87 with another 40 issues unchanged.

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