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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 96-12-30Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
1435:CYPPRESS:01[01] Turks expected to release German touristsNicosia, Dec 30 (CNA) -- Four German tourists, who were apprehended earlier this morning by the Turkish occupation regime, are expected to be released soon at the Ledra Palace check point in the UN-controlled buffer zone, in Nicosia.Details about the exact circumstances of their apprehension are still very scanty but it seems they were detained near one of the two British sovereign bases, in the island's southeastern part. The four were in a hired car, found by sovereign base area (SBA) police near Achna round-about. Three Turkish soldiers, who were near the car, informed the SBA police officers that the occupants of the car had been apprehended. It is possible the tourists had strayed into the island's northern Turkish-occupied part. A spokesman for the German embassy in Nicosia said notification of the apprehension was received ''from several institutions at around noon Monday.'' ''We are using several channels to secure their release,'' the spokesman told CNA. The spokesman could not confirm at this stage whether all four persons apprehended are of German origin. Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal. CNA MM/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1530:CYPPRESS:02[02] Cyprus Stock ExchangeNicosia, Dec 30 (CNA) -- The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:CSE All Share Index 82.06 (-0.29) Sectural Indices Banks 91.63 (-0.07) Approved Investment Companies 74.05 (+0.38) Insurance Companies 58.02 (+0.68) Industrial Companies 82.62 (-0.77) Tourist Industries 70.17 (+0.63) Commercial Companies 62.02 (-1.87) Other Companies 66.81 (-2.98) Trading Volume CYP 1251393.680* The difference in brackets represents the percentage increase (+) or decrease (-) of the index from the previous stock exchange meeting. CNA GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1600:CYPPRESS:03[03] Turks release German touristsNicosia, Dec 30 (CNA) -- The illegal Turkish Cypriot regime, in occupied Cyprus, released this afternoon four German tourists, three men and a woman, they apprehended earlier today.The four are now in the hands of German embassy officials, who have been working for their release since they received notification of the tourists' detention. The tourists arrived at the Ledra Palace check-point, near the UN controlled buffer zone, in an embassy car. The four are giving a statement to the Cyprus police. It is believed the four Germans strayed into the Turkish occupied part of the island near one of the two British Bases in Cyprus, on the south east. CNA KN/MM/EC/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1720:CYPPRESS:04[04] All efforts towards solution welcomedNicosia, Dec 30 (CNA) -- Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides has called on the international community to join in the effort for a solution in Cyprus in a concerted manner.''We would like international interest in Cyprus to be concerted and as keen as possible to be effective,'' Michaelides said before today's cabinet meeting. Any contribution towards the peace effort is welcomed, he added. He noted that some members of the UN Security Council, such as the US and Britain, may be more effective than others, but, he also pointed out that ''this should not lead us to the conclusion that others do not have a role to play.'' The Minister added ''UN Security Council members have a role to play in that they played a leading role in the approval of Council resolutions on Cyprus and have a responsibility to see these resolutions implemented.'' Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory. CNA MM/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1740:CYPPRESS:05[05] House amends electoral lawNicosia, Dec 30 (CNA) -- The House of Representatives amended here today the legislation governing election procedures to allow parties or coalitions secure a parliamentary seat, which has been vacated by an MP from the party which has lost the seat.The vacant seat will be taken up by the first runner up of the party, whose MP has left his own seat, provided the runner up is a member of the said party at the time the seat is vacated. Two deputies of the 56-seat House voted against the amendment, two abstained and the remaining backed the proposal, put forward by the main opposition party AKEL, after one of its MPs in Limassol district abandoned his parliamentary seat to take up his duties as mayor after his electoral victory in this month's local authorities elections. Former Interior Minister Christodoulos Veniamin will take up the vacated seat. Deputy Tassos Papadopoulos, who opposed the proposed amendment, argued that the proposal does not take into account that a small percentage of the electorate belongs to political parties. CNA MM/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1930:CYPPRESS:06[06] Police arrest Lebanese who threatened French embassyNicosia, Dec 30 (CNA) -- Cyprus police announced here today the arrest and detention of a 23-year-old Lebanese man, Nasr Mohamad Hussein, who threatened to strike French interests unless two million US dollars was paid to an extremist organisation, Ansar Al Haq.Police are carrying out investigations in Cyprus and abroad in connection with Hussein's links to the Lebanon-based organisation. The French embassy in Cyprus has already been notified about the arrest and efforts are being made to locate his collaborators, believed to be in Cyprus since 1994. According to the police, Hussein was trained in various Arab nations to carry out terrorist actions and is believed to have received his instructions from the organisation's purported leader Sheik Ali. Hussein was arrested red-handed last Friday in the southern coastal town of Limassol, a police spokesman told a press conference here today, when making the threatening call to the French embassy here. The man, believed to set December 31 as a deadline for the payment of two million dollars for Ansar Al Haq. He used to work as a waiter in Limassol, where he lived. CNA MM/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1945:CYPPRESS:07[07] Russian wanted on forgery chargesNicosia, Dec 30 (CNA) -- Cyprus police are looking for a Russian in connection with their inquiries into a case of obtaining thousands of US dollars under false pretences.Russian Iouri Cortchakov reported to the police that his bank account here had been tampered with, after he tried to obtain cash with his credit card while on a trip abroad, police said. Cortchakov claimed that Semen Achikhmine, also from Russia, managed to withdraw 170.600 Cyprus pounds (approximately 340.000 US dollars) from his bank account after he obtained, under false pretences, one of his check- books. According to police, Achikhmine forged Cortchakov's signature and lodged in his personal account the above amount before cashing nearly twice as much from the account and leaving the country. Police investigations started when Cortchakov returned to Cyprus on 26 December and sought explanations about the balance of his account. CNA MM/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY2000:CYPPRESS:08[08] Released Germans identifiedNicosia, Dec 30 (CNA) -- Four German tourists, apprehended by the Turkish occupation troops this morning but released this afternoon, pledged to continue their holiday on this Mediterranean island.The Germans identified as Alexander Pravida, 26, Mario Roland Pravida, 25, Sylvia Foerster, 23, and Wittki Frank, 25, were released around 1600 local time (1400 GMT) and crossed into the free areas from the Ledra Palace checkpoint, in the UN-controlled buffer zone. The four were heading in a hired car around 1000 local time (0800 GMT) from Dhekelia to Famagusta. They got out of their vehicle while they were in the British Sovereign Bases Area to get a closer look at the Turkish- occupied church of Achna. They were confronted by Turkish soldiers who threatened them at gun point to stop. The four Germans were taken to three military camps before being handed over to the illegal police which ''questioned'' them. They were released after nothing suspicious was found against them. Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal. CNA EC/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY2015:CYPPRESS:09[09] Zimbabwean President to visit CyprusNicosia, Dec 30 (CNA) -- Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, will pay an official visit to Cyprus next week, the President of the House of Representatives Spyros Kyprianou, revealed here today.Addressing a House extraordinary meeting, Kyprianou said Mugabe will speak before the House on January 7 during a special session of the House. CNA MM/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCYCyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |