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Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-09-22Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr>NEWS IN ENGLISHAthens, Greece, 22/09/1999 (ANA)MAIN HEADLINES
NEWS IN DETAILMirage jet crashes, pilot safeA Hellenic Air Force Mirage F-1 jet crashed into the northern Aegean on Wednesday but the plane's pilot ejected to safety, defence ministry sources said. Air Force helicopters were en route to the crash site, near the islet of Psathoura, to bring the pilot in. The pilot was later identified as First Lieutenant Manolis Kampanarakis. He was taken to the Air Force General Hospital as a precaution. The Mirage was one of a pair and two F-16 fighter planes conducting training exercises in the region. Father arrested for killing 3 children Police on the island of Crete today arrested a man who killed three of his four young children in an "act of revenge" against his estranged wife. Crete police said they arrested 40-year-old Nikos Metaxakis of Iraklio in a massive manhunt launched Tuesday after Metaxakis coldbloodedly killed his three young sons, aged 2 to 10, and left his 12-year-old daughter bound and gagged outside a police station with a note explaining his actions. They said Metaxakis, who took his four children from his estranged wife late on Monday for a visit, poisoned the three boys and threw their bodies in the Almyros river. Metaxakis was taken under draconian security to the Irakleion Police Sub-Directorate, where he is being questioned. A crowd had gathered outside the police station and jeered Metaxakis as he arrived. The three children are expected to be buried today at the Aghios Constantinou cemetery in Irakleion. FM: Greece maintained delicate balance during Kosovo Balancing Greece's obligations as a member of NATO and the European Union with the fact that the country is geographically situated in the Balkans enabled Greece to play the new role of interlocutor during the difficult hours of the Kosovo crisis, foreign minister George Papandreou said in New York late last night. Outlining the chief aspects of Greece's foreign policy in an address to the Foreign Policy Association, Papandreou said the country was proceeding with the conviction that Greece's security was founded in the consolidation of stability in the region, in other words on "reinforcement and implementation of the democratic institutions, reduction of the economic imbalances, and faith in the law of the just". Defence minister in Canada for NATO meeting The situation that has arisen in the Balkans following the Kosovo crisis and after the signing of the agreement for disarmament of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was the focus of the first day of talks of an informal NATO defence ministers' meeting. Greece's Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos is representing Greece at the meeting. The "positive" aspect was that "an unarmed force is being set up under the responsibility of the UN Secretary General's representative in Kosovo, that numbers 3,000 persons and will function as a civilian corps, as a civil force for the protection of the minorities of the region," Tsohatzopoulos told a press conference. He said the international community must shoulder its responsibilities, adding that the multinational force could not be a hostage of the designs of any individual nationalistic circles of the Albanian population. Athens has non-tense relations with Ankara Greece on Wednesday denied that Foreign Minister George Papandreou had ever raised an issue of rapprochement with Turkey without conditions or prerequisites. Referring to the present state of relations between Athens and Ankara, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said: "There is a climate of non-tension." Reppas said a second round of talks between Greek and Turkish officials on finding common ground for rapprochement had ended and that a third round would begin at the end of October. He said that Turkey's consideration as a candidate country would be an issue discussed at the EU summit in Helsinki at the end of the year. "That is where we will set out our positions," he said. "Turkey must show such behaviour which will illustrate that it is coming into line with European interests". Industrial production increases in June Industrial production, as measured by the mining, manufacturing and electricity-natural gas output index, increased 4.0 percent in June compared with the same month last year, National Statistics Service said today. The electricity-natural gas index jumped 38 percent, while the mining output index fell by 10.9 percent and the manufacturing output index dropped 0.2 percentin June. The NSS said that the composite industrial output index increased by 3.9 percent in the first six months of 1999 compared with the same period last year. Building materials prices rise Building material prices rose 0.1 percent in August compared with the same month last year, the National Statistics Service said today. The NSS said the increase reflected higher prices in fuel, building machinery and building accessories. Government says no involvement in stock market The government will not intervene in the stock market by naming any "bubble" stocks, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said today. Reppas also denied an ANA's report on Tuesday according to which National Economy Ministry officials said that "tomorrow we buy" after a sharp correction of prices on the Athens Stock Exchange the same day. "I dismiss such a possibility. These comments are misplaced and have already been denied by Mr. Stournaras", he said. Reppas reiterated that the government's policy on the stock market was absolutely clear and denied to comment on talk of government officials' interference on the market's performance in the last two sessions. Greek equities back on track Equity prices resumed their upward course on Wednesday after Tuesday's abrupt correction as investors became active buyers during the first 30 minutes of trading. The general index ended 0.56 percent higher at 6,054.76 points, sharply off the day's highs of 6,169 points. Traders said a wave of profit-taking late in the session substantially reduced earlier gains. Turnover was 465.9 billion drachmas with 44,780,000 shares changing hands. The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks fell 2.66 percent while the FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks eased 0.27 percent to 3,138.77 points. WEATHERMostly fair weather will prevail in most parts of Greece today with cloud and drizzle in the northern Ionian Sea, Epirus, Macedonia and Thrace. Winds variable, light to moderate. Mostly fair in Athens with temperatures from 20-32C. Partly cloudy in Thessaloniki with temperatures between 17- 27C.FOREIGN EXCHANGEWednesday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 311.448 Pound sterling 506.952 Japanese yen (100) 297.719 French franc 49.450 German mark 165.850 Italian lira (100) 16.753 Irish Punt 411.870 Belgian franc 8.041 Finnish mark 54.556 Dutch guilder 147.195 Danish kr. 43.662 Austrian sch. 23.573 Spanish peseta 1.949 Swedish kr. 37.809 Norwegian kr. 39.593 Swiss franc 202.080 Port. Escudo 1.618 Can. dollar 210.800 Aus. dollar 201.277 Cyprus pound 561.472 Euro 324.374(M.P.) Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |