The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 08-09-22

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Meeting at Maximos Mansion

22 Σεπ 2008 10:03:00

Greeces response to the bleak global financial conditions will top the meeting Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis will have on Monday with Finance Minister Giorgos Alogoskoufis and Governor of the Bank of Greece Giorgos Provopoulos. They will also touch on the recent financial developments and their impact on Greeces economy, while Provopoulos will unveil his proposals on stability in the Greek market.

Translated by Areti Christou

[02] Israel: Peres Holds Talks with Parties

Sources: REUTERS

Israeli President Shimon Peres met more parliamentary faction leaders on Monday to discuss the formation of a new coalition government, a day after the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Olmert, who could face criminal indictment in corruption probes, submitted his resignation to Peres on Sunday, four days after he was replaced by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni as leader of the ruling Kadima party in an internal election.

Since Olmerts resignation, Peres has met representatives of the four largest parties, Kadima, Labour, Likud and Shas, and will hold talks with the remaining nine factions on Monday.

Israeli media reported Peres would most likely nominate a party leader to form the next government on Monday and indicated that Livni was his top choice.

"Peres is meeting with many factions today, and something might change, so I cant say for sure he will choose TzipiLivni, but thats how its looking," Peres spokeswoman Ayelet Frish told Army Radio.

Livni met late on Sunday with Defence Minister Ehud Barak, who is head of Labour, the second largest parliamentary bloc, to negotiate a possible partnership. "It was a good, businesslike meeting," Barak said after the talks, adding the two would meet again.

If Livni, Israels chief negotiator in peace talks with the Palestinians, gets the nod she will have up to 42 days to try to put together a coalition. If successful, she will become Israels first woman prime minister since Golda Meir in the 1970s.

Olmert could stay on as interim prime minister for weeks or even months until a new coalition government is formed or a new parliamentary election held. The political uncertainty has dimmed even further prospects of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, which the United States had hoped Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas could achieve this year.

[03] Greek FM's Contacts in 63rd UN General Assembly

Greeces Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis is to take part into a series of talks on the sidelines of the 63rd UN General Assembly. The FYROM name dispute, the Cyprus row, as well as problems plaguing the humankind are expected to top the Bakoyannis talks. The Greek Foreign Minister will sign Monday morning a memorandum of understanding with the African Union for earmarking three million euros for funding climate activities. She will then participate in talks on Africas energy needs. Bakoyannis will also hold talks with Cypriot President Demetris Christofias, UN envoy Matthew Nimetz, NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer, UN Secretary General Ki-moon and her Turkish counterpart.

[04] Car Bomb Kills Soldier in Spain

Sources: REUTERS

A soldier was killed and another person wounded on Monday in a car bomb attack in the northern Spanish town of Santona, near the Basque Country, a government spokesman said. The blast took place at around 1 a.m near a military installation in the seaside town, in the region of Cantabria. It came within 24 hours of two car bomb attacks in the Basque Country, one of which wounded up to 11 people. State news agency EFE reported earlier that a man identifying himself as a member of Basque separatist guerrilla group ETA had called authorities shortly before the explosion.

[05] For the Attack on the USA

22 Σεπ 2008 08:28:00

Sources: REUTERS

Yemen has arrested six members of an Islamic militant group which claimed an attack on the U.S. embassy that killed 17 people, a state-run website said on Sunday.

Abu al-Ghaith al-Yamani, who signed the Islamic Jihad groups statements and was thought to be its leader, was among the six arrested, it said. But the website, in detailing the arrests, did not mention the attack on the U.S. embassy, saying only that the six were detained for threatening to target other foreign embassies including the Saudi and British embassies.

On Thursday, the Islamic Jihad group had said it was behind Wednesdays twin car bombings of the U.S. embassy but the authenticity of the statement, which bore no seal, could not be independently verified.

The group had said it belonged to al Qaeda and threatened to attack the British and Saudi embassies and assassinate high state officials unless the government freed its jailed members.

Wednesdays bombings were the biggest militant operation in Yemen since the attacks on the U.S. warship Cole in 2000 and the French tanker Limburg in 2002.

The U.S. State Department has said the bombings bore "all the hallmarks" of an al Qaeda attack.

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