Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-10-07

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

CONTENTS

[01] DM says five countries involved in attack on Afghanistan

[02] PM briefed by U.S. Vice President on attack on Afghanistan

[03] Weather Forecast: Temperatures drop on Monday

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[05] Weather Forecast: Sunny on Sunday

[01] DM says five countries involved in attack on Afghanistan

Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, referring to the outbreak of war in Afghanistan, said in Ioannina, northern Greece, on Sunday night that "there is no war against civilisations and against peoples. The only thing there can be is a crackdown on terrorism itself."

Tsohatzopoulos said five countries are participating in the attack: the U.S., Britain, Germany, Australia and Italy. He added that their aim is, on the one hand, to protect the people of Afghanistan with food and all the means they were derived of lately and, at the same time, to confront those who support terrorism and the terrorists themselves in the most effective way.

He went on to say that this has to do with the implementation of international law and collective defence decided both by the UN Security Council and the UN general assembly as a legal means and a response to terrorism which created the multitude of innocent victims experienced in the U.S. several days ago.

Tsohatzopoulos further said that what is important at present is for us to realise how spectacularly things have changed at a global level.

He said that as a response to globalised terrorism a global alliance was formed in the international community on a steadfast conception against this form of terrorism.

"But the Islamic world in its entirety is participating in this alliance against terrorism as well. Apart from the U.S., the EU, are Russia, China, India, Iran and Pakistan which are also participating. I would say they are mobilised in confronting terrorism. What should be clarified now is that terrorism has nothing to do with a confrontation, as some claim, between civilisations or peoples," he said.

Speaking to a television station, Tsohatzopoulos announced that he is cancelling his agenda for Monday and will be returning to Athens on a night flight.

[02] PM briefed by U.S. Vice President on attack on Afghanistan

Prime Minister Costas Simitis was informed by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday on the attack on Afghanistan before it was launched.

According to reports, Cheney told Simitis that the response of the U.S. constitutes a move to eradicate terrorism and that an effort is being made not to harm civilians and innocent people. Cheney said the effort will continue at many levels.

It was also revealed that Simitis will convene a special meeting of the Government Council of Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA) at 1 p.m. on Monday.

[03] Weather Forecast: Temperatures drop on Monday

Sunny weather is forecast in the west of the country on Monday, with scattered cloud in the rest of the country. Light easterly winds in western Greece, northerly moderate winds in the east turning to strong in the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 13C to 26C, in the west from 15C to 29C and in the rest of the country from 16C to 28C. Sunny in Athens, some cloud in the north and east, with temperatures between 19C and 28C. Cloudy in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 16C to 26C.

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Indicative tourist buying rates until Monday

U.S. dollar 368.458

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 544.851

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 45.464

Swedish kroner 34.725

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 306.429

Swiss franc 227.257

Norwegian kroner 041.886

Cyprus pound 588.331

Canadian dollar 235.032

Australian dollar 186.824

[05] Weather Forecast: Sunny on Sunday

Hot and humid weather is forecast throughout the country on Sunday, with scattered showers in parts of the north and fair weather in the rest of the country. Winds northerly, light, turning moderate in the Aegean. In the north temperatures will range from 13C to 29C, on the rest of the mainland from 15C to 31C and in the islands from 18C to 28C. Sunny in Athens, with temperatures between 19C and 30C. Same in Thessaloniki with scattered cloud. Temperatures from 16C to 28C.

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