Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-03-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast-Wednesday

[02] Athens 2004 - New managing director

[03] ASE-close

[01] Weather Forecast-Wednesday

Scattered cloud is forecast around the country on Wednesday, turning to showers in the west, centre, north and eastern Aegean, and storms in the northwest. The morning will be misty. Winds will be variable, moderate to strong. In the north, temperatures will range from 5C to 17C; on the rest of the mainland from 8C to 19C; and in the Aegean islands from 10C to 20C. Light cloud in Athens and possible morning showers with temperatures between 10C and 19C. Same in Thessaloniki, with morning mist, and temperatures from 7C to 16C.

[02] Athens 2004 - New managing director

The government named a top Switzerland-based executive as the new managing director for the 2004 Olympics organising committee (ATHOC) on Tuesday, ending a more than three-month vacancy for the post.

The appointment of veteran Dow Chemical Co. executive Ioannis Spanudakis, 48, was announced by the government spokesman during a press conference, where the latter emphasised that the selection was personally made by Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

The latest appointment completes a significant overhaul among ATHOCs leadership since late last April, following national elections in Greece and warnings by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to get preparations moving.

The appointment of Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki as ATHOC president, again by Simitis last year, reinvigorated efforts to prepare for Games over the past few months, something the IOC has praised in its recent on-site inspections. During their last highly publicised inspection last month, IOC officials stressed that starting construction of several 2004-related venues in the next six months is the Lausanne-based organisations greatest concern, something also paramount to ?determining the Games quality?.

[03] ASE-close

Equity prices ended lower on the Athens Stock Exchange on Tuesday hit by sharp declines in international markets, although buying interest for smaller capitalisation stocks remained strong for one more session.

Traders said more than 36 small cap shares, in the textile, retailing, construction and miscellaneous sectors, ended the day with gains exceeding 10 percent pushing turnover above 100 billion drachmas.

The general index ended 0.86 percent lower at 3,231.03 points, with turnover 293.66 million euros, or 100.06 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.78 percent lower at 1,828.2 points, and the FTSE/ASE 40 index fell 0.08 percent to 396.07 points.

Sector indices ended as follows:

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended at 365.42 points, off 0.69 percent.

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