Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-10-02

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

[02] Weather Forecast: Sunny on Thursday

[03] Street market vendors, grocers continue strike; gov't reax

[04] Blue chip losses push ASE lower on Wednesday

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 0.991

Pound sterling 0.632

Danish kroner 7.486

Swedish kroner 9.142

Japanese yen 121.9

Swiss franc 1.472

Norwegian kroner 7.360

Cyprus pound 0.577

Canadian dollar 1.568

Australian dollar 1.821

[02] Weather Forecast: Sunny on Thursday

Sunshine is forecast in all parts of the country, with light cloud in the east and south. Winds northerly, light to strong, turning very strong in the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 5C to 20C; in the west from 9C to 24C; and in the Aegean islands from 11C to 23C. Temperatures in Athens between 15C and 22C; and in Thessaloniki from 10C to 20C.

[03] Street market vendors, grocers continue strike; gov't reax

Rotating street markets in the greater Athens area, mostly comprised of fresh produce and fruit stands, remained no where to be found on Wednesday as individual producers and outdoor greengrocers continued their strike this week.

Vendors at the street markets for decades the traditional shopping venue for Greek urban families fruits and vegetable purchases are protesting a recent government decision to force some of them selling primarily non-food items such as kitchen utensil, linen and clothing) to ring up sales on cash register machines.

Striking stall vendors and producers also tried to continue their roadblocks of toll stations leading to the Greek capital, part of their efforts to block shipments by wholesalers. However, riot police at the Elefsina toll station, west of Athens on the highway leading to the Peloponnese, kept protestors at bay earlier in the day. Conversely, impromptu negotiations between protestors and authorities were taking place at the other toll station at Afidne, the one leading north out of Athens towards the central Greek mainland.

Govt spokesman

During a regular press briefing later in the day, the government spokesman said authorities are standing by their decision to require cash registers for certain street market vendors, as well as to prevent any disruption of commercial traffic.

Specifically, spokesman Christos Protopapas said only 4 percent of vendors are affected by the decision, while adding:

?They also cannot block-off the national roadways in order to cause supply problems, nor can they (protestors) attempt to inspect trucks,? he said.

[04] Blue chip losses push ASE lower on Wednesday

Greek stocks ended Wednesday's volatile session lower, reflecting losses in blue chip stocks, particularly in the banks and telecommunication sectors.

The general index ended 0.98 percent down at 1,815.03 points, as a wave of selling during the last hour of trading reversed a prevailing upward trend in the market.

Turnover was a low 72.5 million euros, while Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation's shares ended 1.91 percent lower.

The Telecoms, Banks and Holding sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (1.58 percent, 1.55 percent and 1.43 percent, respectivey), while the Textile (+2.05 percent), IT Solutions (+0.30 percent) and Construction (+0.30 percent) sectors scored gains.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks dropped 1.37 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index fell 0.70 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 0.40 percent lower.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 196 to 109 with another 50 issues unchanged.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article