The Greek Prime Minister, Costas Simitis, has announced that parliamentary elections will take place in April, five months earlier than scheduled.

Mr Simitis said he wanted a fresh mandate before Greece submits its application to join the European Monetary Union in March.

Greece is the only EU country which was left out of the EMU for failing to meet certain economic criteria.

Mr Simitis said election uncertainty would have cast a cloud over the negotiations to join the single currency.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service