Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 99-05-16

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From: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>

CONTENTS

_SUNDAY 16 MAY 1999_

[01] HEADLINES

[02] YUGO WARFRONT

[03] YUGO POLITICAL EFFORTS

[04] ISRAEL ELECTIONS

[05] RUSSIA YELTSIN

[06] SIMITIS TURKEY

[07] KASOULIDES SWEDEN

[08] CYPRUS PEACE MARCH

[09] RIALTO THEODORAKIS

[10] MUSEUM FREE

[01] HEADLINES

-- A week of intensive diplomatic effort on the Kosovo crisis begins tomorrow with a meeting in Brussels of the European Union foreign ministers wiith their Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov.

-- Centre Party candidate Yitzhak Mordechai and Israeli ultra nationalist candidate Benny Begin quit the race for prime minister of Israel today at the 11th hour, and Mr Mordechai urged voters to back front-running Labour Party leader Ehud Barak in tomorrow's general election.

-- President Boris Yeltsin was bracing today for a battle with parliament over who becomes Russia's next prime minister, after surviving a Communist - led attempt to impeach him.

[02] YUGO WARFRONT

NATO reported today that it had carried out "intense" attacks during the night on Yugoslav forces in south and south-eastern Kosovo, striking at tanks, artillery and troops concentrations.

Elsewhere in Serbia, NATO launched air strikes on electric power installations and fuel stores on the 54th day of its campaign.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana today said he expected dramatic evidence of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo to emerge once the conflict was over and alliance troops escorted refugees back into the province.

He also said that he expected the refugees to be able to return to their homes before winter had set in.

In another development, unnamed Pentagon and NATO officials in Brussels, said the Pentagon was blocking plans to use the Apaches out of fear for the safety of U.S. pilots and concern the conflict could spread into Albania.

[03] YUGO POLITICAL EFFORTS

At a regular annual meeting designed to review bilateral ties under a 1997 partnership pact, the two sides will discuss the crisis in Yugoslavia and EU efforts to push ties forward at a time when they are strained by NATO air strikes.

Kosovo's Albabian leader, Imbrahim Rugova will join the EU ministers to discuss the Yugoslavia crisis.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is also expected to step up efforts for a political solution in Kosovo.

A government statement said Mr Schroeder, in addition to meeting Finnish President and Kosovo mediator Martti Ahtisaari in Helsinki tomorrow, would hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana in Brussels on Wednesday.

[04] ISRAEL ELECTIONS

Tomorrow's election is turning into a showdown between challenger Mr Barak and incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose support in opinion polls has waned steadily in the approach to voting, brushed off the former general's call and predicted yet again that he would defy forecasts and triumph at the ballot box.

Mr Mordechai's exit dramatically raised the chances that right-wing Likud party leader Mr Netanyahu could lose outright to Mr Barak in the first round of voting sparing Israel an unprecedented run-off between the two on June 1.

Israeli Arab contender Azmi Bishara also quit the race last night in another boost to Mr Barak.

Israel's Arab citizens form more than 15 percent of the electorate.

[05] RUSSIA YELTSIN

Mr Yeltsin's opponents in the State Duma, the lower house, failed yesterday to start proceedings for Mr Yeltsin's impeachment proceedings on any of five charges of misrule they had brought against him, following three days of acrimonious debate.

The closest the Communists came to tripping Mr Yeltsin up was over his role in the 1994-96 war in breakaway Chechnya.

Mr Yeltsin's opponents will have a chance to hit back when the Duma meets on Wednesday to consider whether to confirm his loyal ally Sergei Stepashin as prime minister.

[06] SIMITIS TURKEY

Speaking in Komotini, the premier said that if Turkey democratises its policy with international law and respects european institutions, then Greece will support its european course.

Turkish President Suleiman Demirel had claimed that all islets in the Aegean belong to Turkey.

[07] KASOULIDES SWEDEN

The two will discuss the Cyprus problem, the island's European Union accession course and international issues of mutual interest.

During his visit, Mr Kasoulides will meet with the presidents and the members of the Foreign Affairs and EU Affairs Parliamentary Committees.

He will also call on Bishop of Sweden and All Scandinavia, Pavlo.

Tomorrow he will give a speech at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs on "Cyprus' course towards the EU".

He returns to Cyprus on Wednesday

[08] CYPRUS PEACE MARCH

In a resolution to the UN Secretary - General, marchers called for an end to the barbaric and criminal war in Yugoslavia and the dissolution of NATO which is contrary to international law and poses a threat to international peace.

They also called on the Secretary General to intensify his efforts to secure the implementation of the UN resolutions on Cyprus and expressed a desire to abolish the British Bases in Cyprus and demanded a complete demilitarisation of the island.

In a speech, the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church on the island, Archbishop Chrysostomos said that although peace is a blessed gift, it cannot prevail in an unjust world.

In his speech, the honourary president of the World Council for Peace, Romes Siantra, who criticised US President Bill Clinton, and NATO allies over the Kosovo crisis.

Yugoslav Ambassador to Cyprus, Ivan Mrkic accused NATO of using bombs which contain radium.

The march was also addressed by AKEL General Secretary, Demetris Christofias and famous composer, Mikis Theodorakis.

[09] RIALTO THEODORAKIS

The theatre, which was renovated by the Limassol Coop Bank, was symbolically handed over to Limassol mayor, Demetris Kontides.

During the ceremony, renowned Greek composer, Mikis Theodorakis was honoured for his contribution to world culture.

The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of extracts from Mikis Theodorakis' opera "Electra".

[10] MUSEUM FREE

A ceremony to mark the World Museum Day was also organised by the Friends of the Cyprus Museum at the site of the archaeological museum.

Officials stressed the significance of this year's museum day, adding that the trend nowadays is to create more museums which will provide entertainment and education.

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