Olympic News Here are more details on some of the events mentioned in the Reuters article I posted yesterday.
Athens gets Rogge approval. Olympic chief Jacques Rogge arrives in Athens and says the city is ready to host the Games. [BBC Sport | Olympics 2004 | World Edition]
Both Jacques Rogge and Greek Prime Minister Karamanlis have said that they are happy with the state of readiness in Athens, just one week before the games.
Rogge added: "Athens will give a magical games and I know that all the athletes around the world have had the dream to come and compete at the Olympics."
On Tuesday, Karamanlis said he was satisfied Athens was ready to host the multi-sport extravaganza.
"The Olympic installations and infrastructure are ready to welcome, host and serve the Olympic family, the athletes, the journalists and the spectators coming from around the world," he said.
Athens hotel staff in pay strike. Greek hotel workers are on strike to demand a pay rise ahead of the Olympic games. [BBC News | Europe | World Edition]
On Wednesday, hotel workers staged a one-day strike to demand an increase in pay, which is well below the level of similar workers in the rest of Western Europe.
The hotel workers' union has not ruled out calling a strike during the period of the games, which run between 13 and 29 August.
"It depends on the hoteliers," said Christos Katsotis, president of the city's main hotel workers' union representing 7,500 workers, most of them junior level staff.
Unions said almost three quarters of the 11,000 workers they represent were staying away from work on Wednesday.
But hotel owners say the strike is having little impact and only affecting two percent of the total workforce.
Olympic costs hit Greek deficit. Greece's deputy finance minister warns
the cost of staging the Olympic Games is pushing the country's budget deficit well above EU limits. [BBC News | Europe | World Edition]
The costs of the Olympics will cause problems for the Greek government, as the costs of hosting the games will push the deficit above the limit allowed by the EU. By November 5, Greece will have to announce how the shortfall will be rectified. Currently, the costs of the games is about $8.4 (7 billion euros) billion; the original estimate was closer to $3 billion.
6:48:51 AM 
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