Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-09-14

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

CONTENTS

[01] EU: Day of mourning for victims of terrorist strike in US, 3 minutes of

[02] SAE sets up fund for families of victims of terror attacks in US

[03] Legendary llaika singer Kazantzidis dies after bout with cancer

[04] Weather Forecast: Sunshine on Friday

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[01] EU: Day of mourning for victims of terrorist strike in US, 3 minutes of silence

Friday has been declared a day of mourning throughout the European Union for the victims of the terrorist attack in the United States.

All EU citizens are called on to observe three minutes of silence from 1:00 p.m. to 1:03 p.m. in memory of the dead from Tuesday's terrorist hits in New York and Washington D.C.

The Greek ministry of interior, public administration and decentralization ordered that flags on all public, municipal, community and state run enterprises and agency buildings be flown at half-mast, in observance of the decision of the European Union council of ministers.

In observance of the mourning, the Athens News Agency (ANA) will suspend news and photgraph transmissions from 1:00-1:03 p.m. local time.

[02] SAE sets up fund for families of victims of terror attacks in US

In a show of solidary with the American community by Greek-Americans throughout the US, the World Council of Overseas Greeks (SAE) has established a fund to provide assistance to the families of the victims of the recent terrorist attacks in the United States, it was announced Friday.

The funds collected will be given to the appropriate authorities, together with the list of donors, a SAE official told ANA.

SAE called on all Greek-American organisations and individuals to deposit contributions in a bank account established for that purpose, noting that the contributions were tax-deductible.

Deposits can be made personally at any branch of the Atlantic Bank (New York or Chicago) to the SAE Assistance Fund, account no. 59004581, or by check payable to "SAE Assistance Fund" which should be mailed to SAE, 360 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1109, Chicago IL, 60601.

The official also said that the offices of SAE North and South American Region have been swamped with hundreds of phone calls by the Greek media and many citizens of Greece who anguish over the deadly situation created by Tuesday's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

"The foremost thing in their mind, along with the horror and anger over the gruesome assault, is the number, identity and fate of those individuals of Hellenic descent working there," the official said.

"SAE has been doing its best to provide truthful and responsible answers to all these questions. To this end help is needed. SAE calls upon all Greek-Americans who may have concrete information about idividuals who were working at or visiting the places of disaster to step forward" and call (312) 357-0027 or visit the website "http:www.saeamerica.org/terrorattack" or "http://www.sae.gr/terrorattack" with any such information.

[03] Legendary llaika singer Kazantzidis dies after bout with cancer

Stelios Kazantzidis, one of Greece's most loved 'laika' singers, died Friday in hospital at the age of 70 after a months-long bout with cancer.

Kazantzidis, who was immensely popular in the country and with expatriate Greeks and considered by many as the most prolific and stirring singer of Greek popular music, or 'laika', had worked with most of Greece's renowned composers, and one of the first composers he ever worked with described Kazandzidis' voice as "made for expressing anquish".

His career was marked by collaborations with most of the best-loved and renowned composers, including Manolis Hiotis, Yorgos Mitsakis, Vassilis Tsitsanis, Manos Loizos, Manos Hatzidakis, Miki Theodorakis and Stavros Xarchakos.

[04] Weather Forecast: Sunshine on Friday

Sunny weather is forecast throughout the country on Friday, with scattered cloud in the south in the morning. Winds north-northwesterly, light to moderate, turning strong in parts of the southeastern Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 11C to 28C; on the rest of the mainland from 14C to 31C; and in the islands from 18C to 29C. Sunshine in Athens, with temperatures between 16C and 31C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 12C to 27C.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Indicative tourist buying rates

U.S. dollar 373.097

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 547.935

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 45.410

Swedish kroner 35.272

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 313.333

Swiss franc 224.754

Norwegian kroner 042.258

Cyprus pound 589.890

Canadian dollar 238.754

Australian dollar 191.982

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