Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-10-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[02] Greek FM in Pakistan, Iran next week

[03] One illegal migrant drowns off Kos, 19 intercepted (lead)

[04] Toddler overdoses on methadone, father charged with drug dealing

[05] Court rules metro strike illegal

[06] Weather Forecast: Showery on Friday

[07] ASE follows European bourses lower

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Indicative tourist buying rates

U.S. dollar 380.258

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 541.707

Irish punt 429.202

Belgian franc 008.379

Luxembourg franc 008.379

Dutch guilder 153.389

Italian lira (100) 017.457

Austrian schilling 024.565

Danish kroner 045.456

Swedish kroner 035.776

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 308.538

Swiss franc 228.722

Norwegian kroner 042.524

Cyprus pound 588.565

Canadian dollar 241.581

Australian dollar 192.459

[02] Greek FM in Pakistan, Iran next week

The foreign ministry announced on Thursday that Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou would visit Islamabad on Nov. 1, where he is set to meet with Pakistani leader Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

The Greek FM will subsequently leave Pakistan for Tehran for talks with Iran's leadership.

In a related development, new Deputy FM Yiannis Magriotis leaves for Attalya, Turkey this week to participate at a regular six-month session of foreign ministers from the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) member-states.

[03] One illegal migrant drowns off Kos, 19 intercepted (lead)

One of three Afghan illegal immigrants attempting to land on an eastern Aegean island early Thursday morning drowned after the trio's small inflatable dinghy overturned in rough seas, the coast guard said.

The two survivors were picked up by a coast guard patrol in the morning after another five Afghans on a similar craft informed authorities of the mishap, shortly after they were intercepted near the Skandari sea region -- off the Dodecanese island of Kos.

Only a few hours later, another craft -- identified as a Turkish-registered fishing boat from nearby Bodrum (ancient Halicarnassus) on the Turkish coast -- was intercepted with 12 Afghan migrants on board.

One of the Afghan men aboard at the vessel's helm was also charged with migrant smuggling.

The island of Kos, famed in antiquity as the birthplace of Hippocrates, has increasingly been targeted by scores of mostly Third World migrants heading off from the Turkish coast over the past two months in their attempt to reach Greece or another EU destination.

Stepped up patrols have been ordered in the region by authorities.

[04] Toddler overdoses on methadone, father charged with drug dealing

A three-year boy in the northern city of Thessaloniki remained hospitalised in critical condition on Thursday after overdosing on methadone his drug-dealing father allegedly kept in a refrigerator at their residence.

Authorities on Thursday revealed the unprecedented incident, which occurred last Monday, along with details of how police learned of the toddler's methadone overdose.

According to reports, the child's father was initially arrested outside a local high school on charges of selling drugs to pupils. A subsequent search of his apartment turned up roughly 211 grams of hashish, a plastic container filled with 48 grams of liquid methadone -- a synthetic narcotic drug often prescribed for heroin users to reduce their addiction -- as well as a hospital document referring to the child's treatment at the Ippokrateion medical centre.

The child's father was identified as Ioannis Tassios.

Two other suspects, including a juvenile arrested outside a high school in the Sykies district of Thessaloniki, were charged with drug offences related to the same case.

In fact, police claim the first man, listed as Spyridonas Tsouloufopoulos, supplied Tassios with the methadone he received in a drug treatment clinic in exchange for 20 grams of hashish.

[05] Court rules metro strike illegal

An Athens first instance court on Thursday ruled that a 24-hour strike by employees of the Greek capital's new metro was illegal.

The judge accepted, in part, an appeal by the Attiko Metro's management to declare the industrial action illegal and excessive.

[06] Weather Forecast: Showery on Friday

Showers are forecast in many parts of the mainland on Friday, turning to snow on high ground and storms in the west. Scattered cloud in the rest of the country, with rain likely in the Cyclades, Crete and Dodecanese islands. Winds variable, moderate to very strong, turning gale force in the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 6C to 15C; in the centre from 10C to 18C; and in the rest of the country from 14C to 21C. Light cloud and a little rain in Athens, with temperatures between 12C and 17C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 9C to 13C.

[07] ASE follows European bourses lower

Disappointment over a decision by the European Central Bank to leave interest rates unchanged in the eurozone, combined with news of lower profits in the first nine months of 2001 by major listed companies, created a negative climate on the Athens Stock Exchange on Thursday, with equity prices ending substantially lower.

The Greek market followed a negative reaction of other European markets to ECB's rate decision.

The general index ended 1.10 percent lower at 2,365.10 points, off the day's lows, with turnover a low 29.8 billion drachmas, or 87.6 million euros.

The Investment, Publication and Holdings sectors recorded the biggest percentage losses (2.82%, 2.73% and 2.24%, respectively).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.88 percent lower the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index eased 1.18 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index dropped 1.05 percent.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 258 to 68 with another 32 issues unchanged.

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