Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-09-30
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 30/09/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Gov't vows to continue battle against tax dodgers
- 2004 Olympic Games projects on right track
- Defence minister in Cyprus
- Messinia to get massive tourism project
- 10 arrested in drugs swoop
- British woman killed in car accident
- Staggered opening hours begin on Thursday
- Strong Yugoslav quake recorded in Thessaloniki
- Arsonists of Conscience claim bomb attack
- Health minister tells doctors to go back to work
- Weather
- Foreign Exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Gov't vows to continue battle against tax dodgers
The government said on Wednesday it would continue to seek out tax evaders,
large or small, following the finance ministry's release of 20 high-profile
tax dodgers, including the municipality of Athens, on Tuesday. Government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas dismissed claims that the revelation by the
ministry that the Athens Municipality was being fined 500 million drachmas
for non-payment of VAT was linked to municipal elections next month. "The
state does not stop operating during a pre-election period, just as laws do
not stop operating," Reppas said. The fine on the municipality should not
be perceived through the political prism, he said.
2004 Olympic Games projects on right track
The government on Wednesday denied press reports that 2004 Olympic Games
projects were being plagued by delays or that it was considering a change
of guard in the organisation of the Games. "Cooperation between the
ministerial committee (for the Games) and the Athens 2004 Organising
Committee is very good and we are well within the timetables for the
construction of projects," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said.
Reppas noted that an International Olympic Committee delegation recently in
Greece had also said it was satisfied with the pace of progress.
Defence minister in Cyprus
Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos began a three-day official visit to
Cyprus on Wednesday to take part in events marking Cypriot independence.
Tsohatzopoulos was met at Larnarca airport by his Cypriot counterpart
Yiannakis Omirou, with whom he will have talks on the Greek-Cypriot joint
defence pact. Speaking on arrival, the Greek minister said that Cyprus's
defence capabilities would "proceed without hindrance".
Messinia to get massive tourism project
Development Minister Vasso Papandreou on Wednesday welcomed a plan by a
group of Greek and Greek-American businessmen to sink some 50 billion
drachmas in developing tourist installations in the region of Messinia, in
the Peloponnese. The investment plan is considered the largest tourism
investment project undertaken in Greece ever and will require the approval
of the Greek Parliament. At the initial phase, the plan involves the
construction of a luxury 2,300-bed hotel, two 18-hole golf courses, a
conference centre, and an extensive thalassotherapy and sports facilities
and a shopping mall.
10 arrested in drugs swoop
Police in the northern Greek province of Imathia on Wednesday said they had
arrested 10 Albanian nationals in possession of 102 kilos of hashish
destined for the Athens and Thessaloniki markets. Acting on a tip-off,
local police threw a cordon around a forest in Rodohori, near Naoussa,
which had turned into a meeting point for Greek drug dealers buying in bulk
from the Albanian ring. Eight Albanians were arrested in the raid,
including six minors. Another two were arrested a short time later. Police
also found a Kalashnikov rifle on the Albanians and are examining whether
the any members of the group were involved in the recent armed robbery of a
gas station in Naoussa, in which the owner was killed.
British woman killed in car accident
A 62-year-old British woman was killed and another seriously injured when
their car drove off a cliff on the national highway between Argos and
Tripolis, police said today. Police said Penny Renesk-Ervin Merison, a
resident of Cambridge, was killed yesterday evening when the car, with
licence plate K. 381 MAH driven by Darrlyn Berenic Lyford Heyer, resident
of Kingswin Ford, fell off the cliff on the old national highway. Heyer was
serious injured, as were two other passengers. All three were being treated
at the Tripolis regional hospital.
Staggered opening hours begin on Thursday
Staggered winter shop and services hours go into effect tomorrow until May
31, in a bid to curb the notorious Athens 'nefos' (smog) and traffic
congestion. Public sector services, public utilities and local government
services will open at 7:30 a.m., while banks and insurance companies will
begin work at 7:45 a.m. Food stores will open at 7:30 a.m., supermarkets
inside that Athens inner ring at 8:15 a.m. and all other supermarkets at
8:00 a.m. Merchant stores and department stores will open at 9:00
a.m.
Strong Yugoslav quake recorded in Thessaloniki
A strong earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale rocked Yugoslavia
early today, the Thessaloniki University observatory said. Observatory
spokesman Manolis Skordilis said the observatory's seismographs recorded
the quake at 1:15 a.m., with its epicentre 80 kilometres southwest of
Belgrade. He said the earthquake was a "surface tremor" with a depth of 10
kilometres. Skordilis, who could not give details of damage or injuries,
said the quake was also felt in northern Greece.
Arsonists of Conscience claim bomb attack
The urban guerrilla group "Arsonists of Conscience" today claimed
responsibility for Tuesday's bomb attack against a building housing the
Union of Retired Security Forces Officers office in the Zografou suburb. An
unidentified caller telephoned the private radio/television station Antenna
and claimed responsibility on behalf of the group. The makeshift bomb, made
up of gas cannisters placed outside the Union offices in the mezzanine
level of the building, slightly injured a passing motorcyclist and caused
material damage. The same group claimed responsibililty for a firebomb
attack on the office of government spokesman and press minister Dimitris
Reppas in May, which caused damage but no injuries.
Health minister tells doctors to go back to work
Health and Welfare Minister Costas Geitonas on Wednesday said continuing
strike action by public hospital doctors in Athens and Thessaloniki was
unwarranted and urged them to return to work. "Solutions have provided for
all the demands in the sector: there have been bold wage increases given to
doctors and there is already a programme drafted for duty rosters as well
as a committee to supervise," Geitonas told reporters after meeting with
Prime Minister Costas Simitis. Public hospital doctors in Athens and
Thessaloniki said on Tuesday they would continue their three-week-old
strike until the government came through on its promise for more money for
duty rosters.
WEATHER
Fine weather in most parts of Greece today with few clouds and scattered
storms in Thrace, the eastern Aegean islands and the Dodecanese. Weather
will improve from the afternoon. Winds variable, moderate to strong. Athens
sunny with temperatures from 20-26C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures
between 18-22C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Wednesday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 285.964
British pound 489.056 Japanese yen (100) 213.042
French franc 50.969 German mark 170.892
Italian lira (100) 17.272 Irish Punt 427.076
Belgian franc 8.283 Finnish mark 56.123
Dutch guilder 151.523 Danish kr. 44.928
Austrian sch. 24.299 Spanish peseta 2.011
Swedish kr. 36.516 Norwegian kr. 38.589
Swiss franc 206.162 Port. Escudo 1.668
Aus. dollar 170.574 Can. dollar 189.472
Cyprus pound 574.884
(M.P.)
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