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Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 01-12-02Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>Sunday, December 2, 2001CONTENTS
[01] De Soto arrives for Clerides-Denktash meetingTHE UN Secretary-general's special adviser for Cyprus Alvaro de Soto was due to arrive last night ahead of new face-to-face talks between the leaders of the two communities.De Soto will enter a round of contacts before Tuesday's meeting in Nicosia, at which he will act as an observer. The meeting will be the first direct talks between President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash since 1997. Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou, while welcoming the UN Secretary- general's report on the peacekeeping force in Cyprus issued on Friday, said yesterday the report was obviously designed not to cause problems ahead of Tuesday's meeting. Papapetrou said the Security Council was expected to issue its resolution on the renewal of UNFICYP's mandate on December 14 and called on the Council to take into consideration the stance of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides during the Clerides-Denktash meeting. Council of Europe Secretary-general Walter Schwimmer yesterday welcomed Tuesday's meeting and congratulated both parties for their decision to meet in the presence of the UN Secretary General's Special Adviser. Schwimmer appealed to both leaders "to demonstrate far-sightedness and seize the opportunity of this meeting to move towards an equitable and lasting solution for Cyprus". In Washington State Department spokesman Richard Boucher also welcomed Tuesday's talks and confirmed that the Cyprus question would be on the agenda of discussions US Secretary of State Colin Powell has in Turkey next week. "We support the talks that are coming up between the communities in Cyprus, hosted by the UN, and we certainly look for efforts that can accelerate the momentum in those discussions," Boucher said. Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001 [02] Smoking during pregnancy increases asthma risk for the childBy Alexia SaoulliCHILDREN are three times more likely to be asthmatic if their mothers smoke during pregnancy according to the preliminary results of a study by the Cyprus Paediatric Respiratory Research Unit. Parents' smoking is one reason for an increase in asthma and allergies such as eczema and hay fever among Cypriot children according to the research unit, headed by respiratory paediatricians Drs Panicos Yiallouros and Spyros Pipis. Although not all the results have been drawn from the two-year study that sampled more than 10,000 children in the Limassol and Nicosia districts, initial indications highlight that children are three times more likely to be asthmatic if their mothers smoke during pregnancy and that there is a slight increase in asthma frequency among children whose parents smoke after they are born. Questionnaires were completed by the parents of 4,944 schoolchildren aged seven to eight and 6,297 children aged 13-14 years old completed the questionnaires themselves. Asthma was reported for 8.1 per cent in Nicosia and 6.2 per cent in Limassol in the younger age group and 11.2 per cent in Nicosia and six per cent in Limassol in the older age group. "In the younger age group, there was significantly higher prevalence of current asthma reported for male children, living in the urban areas of Nicosia, whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, and had a personal history and or immediate history of allergies. "In the older age group, significantly higher risk was associated with the presence of cats in the household and a personal history and or immediate family history of asthma," the study's abstract says. "A second study will be carried out to identify the reasons for the differences in asthma frequencies in the sexes and in the two regions," Pipis said. It will be completed in association with the North West Research Unit in Manchester. Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001 [03] Genetic link to sporting successA BREAKTHROUGH study under way at the Cyprus Institute of Genetics and Neurology is examining possible links between humans' gene make-up and athletic ability and physical endurance.The research team, headed by molecular biologist Marios Kariolou, is looking at blood samples taken from South African Olympic champions. At the same time, the research could provide insights into the treatment of debilitating muscle diseases. Begun some nine months ago, the programme is funded by the Cyprus Sports Federation, with the Cyprus-based research team working with scientists from Cape Town. Initial conclusions from the research, to be extended to studying Cypriot athletes, will be announced in about 18 months. Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001 [04] Arson suspect remandedA MAN was remanded in Larnaca court yesterday in connection with an arson attack in October.The court heard that Pantelis Pourkou, 24, was arrested following DNA test results which police say link him as an accessory to the attack on a car on October 28 at Livadia. The suspect, who was remanded for five days, is also suspected of involvement in four other similar cases, in which cars at Oroklini and Livadia were damaged earlier this year. Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001 [05] Man dies in quarry accidentA 34-year-old Syrian man was killed yesterday in a freak accident at a quarry in Tochni.Abdelkader Elmertto was using a mobile mechanically operated crane to move boulders when he slipped and fell between two of them. Co-workers managed to prise the boulders apart, but Elmertto was already dead, police said. Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001 [06] ErratumOn Friday the Cyprus Mail erroneously reported in a story headlined 'Aladdin comes back to Nicosia' that the lead role is being played by a male actor in the ACT Christmas pantomime. In keeping with panto tradition that the leading boy is played by a girl, the part of Aladdin is being performed by actress Oscar Kyriakides.Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001 Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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