Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-09-23

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 23/09/1999 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Crete police re-enact child murders
• Government slams opposition
• Greece rejects U.S. State Dept claims
• Taxman nets actress Vanna Barba
• Ugandan president to visit
• Black Sea environment ministers meet
• Turkish national gets 37 months jail
• Weather
• Foreign Exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Police led a Cretan man suspected of killing his three sons to spite his ex- wife through a re-enactment of the crime early on Thursday. Georgios Metaxakis is accused of drowning three of his four children - aged from two to 10 - in the Almyros River. Security was tight during the re-enactment with Metaxakis wearing a bullet-proof vest as relatives of the children have vowed revenge. Metaxakis claims his two older sons - 10 and four - fell into the river and in his attempts to save them he dragged in the two- year-old. But Metaxakis's daughter says her father led the three boys away from the car in which she had been left bound and gagged. On his return, he drove the car to the local police station and left her in it there, apparently with a note confessing to his crime.

Government slams opposition

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas on Thursday lashed out at conservative opposition New Democracy (ND), saying the stance it was pursuing on both the recent earthquake and developments on the Athens Stock Exchange was irresponsible. Reppas was answering reporters' questions in relation to a request by New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis for a discussion at political party leader level on the September 7 earthquake. "The government has every reason to hold this discussion because it can show significant achievements," Reppas said, adding that it had repeatedly been said the discussion would be held when the assembly was in full session and not during the summer session. New Democracy wants political purchase on an issue which is not providing it, he said. "Initially, the party had approached the issue of the quake in a responsible manner; now it is acting irresponsibly." He made similar comments about the opposition's stance on developments on the Athens Stock Exchange, saying New Democracy aimed at continuing to fuel an "absurd" discussion which could cause problems for the stock market.

Greece rejects U.S. State Dept claims

Greece on Thursday rejected claims in a U.S. State Department report that it was suppressing the religious freedoms of the Moslem minority in Trace. "These claims do not hold," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said. "Greek Moslems have the same rights as the rest of us... the conditions under which the Greek Moslems live are an example for minorities in other countries," he said. Responding to a question about the transfer of competency for Moslem minority issues from the foreign ministry to the interior ministry, Reppas said that the issues related to the Moslem minority were issues related to Greek citizens. "It is an internal issue for the country and not a matter for foreign policy," he said.

Taxman nets actress Vanna Barba

Greek actress Vanna Barba has failed to declare income amounting to 44 million drachmas ($U.S. 145,000), Greece's tax authorities said on Thursday. Barba, who is best known abroad for her role as a prostitute in the Oscar-winning foreign film "Mediterraneo", failed to issue receipts for income she received for two television serials, the audit revealed. Barba is the latest household name to be snared in the Greek tax department's campaign to stamp out tax evasion by releasing the names of high profile tax dodgers.

Ugandan president to visit

The president of the Republic of Uganda, Yoweri Keguta Museveni, will begin an official visit to Greece on the invitation of President Costis Stephanopoulos on September 29. Museveni's visit will last through to Ocotber 1.

Black Sea environment ministers meet

Environment ministers from Black Sea Economic Cooperation Council countries begin meeting in Thessaloniki on Thursday to discuss monitoring pollution and evaluating environmental risk in the region. Participating are ministers from Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Russia and Moldavia. Deputy Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Theodoros Koliopanos is to chair the session.

Turkish national gets 37 months jail

A Kos court on Thursday sentenced a Turkish national to 37 months' jail for attempting to bring 33 illegal immigrants into the country. Serkan Duzvasti was arrested on September 18, along with Tolga Cikikci, also Turkish. Cikikci, who is a minor under Greek law, is to be deported.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Thursday's rates (buying)
U.S. dollar          308.423
Pound sterling       503.757
Japanese yen (100)   295.408
French franc          49.456
German mark          165.870
Italian lira (100)    16.755
Irish Punt           411.920
Belgian franc          8.042
Finnish mark          54.562
Dutch guilder        147.213
Danish kr.            43.656
Austrian sch.         23.576
Spanish peseta         1.949
Swedish kr.           37.631
Norwegian kr.         39.432
Swiss franc          202.393
Port. Escudo           1.618
Can. dollar          209.649
Aus. dollar          201.019
Cyprus pound         561.472
Euro                 324.414

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