Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 99-09-10

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

FRIDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 1999

[01] HEADLINES

[02] GREECE QUAKE

[03] QUAKE DEAD

[04] DENKTASH ANNAN

[05] UN DENKTASH

[06] NEOPHYTOU RODOUSAKIS

[07] BRITON DEAD

[08] MIDEAST

[09] JAPAN SPACE

[10] WORLD IN BRIEF

[11] WEATHER

[01] HEADLINES

--- Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, maintained his intransigent stance during last night's meeting in New York with UN chief, Kofi Annan.

--- Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority civil powers in seven percent of the West Bank today.

--- Japan's troubled space programme suffered another setback today.

[02] GREECE QUAKE

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said today that about 1,600 people had been injured seriously enough to need hospital treatment and 380 were still in hospital.

The fire department said 35 people were still missing.

With hopes fading of finding more survivors, Greek soldiers set up more tents today to cope with over 16,000 homeless in the northern suburbs of Athens.

More than half of 10,000 homes checked by state engineers have been found to be dangerous but residents were reluctant to leave their shattered properties and take on the government's offer to put them in hotels or aboard cruise ships.

Many houses bear officialdom's red X sprayed on their walls, meaning they must be demolished because they are beyond repair.

[03] QUAKE DEAD

Her father, Christos Papathomas, was pulled out of the rubble dead on Wednesday.

Rescue teams also found 35-year-old Froso Demetri Panteli, from Larnaca, dead, and by this afternoon will have pulled her body from the rubble.

Froso's 14-year-old daughter was pulled out dead yesterday morning.

[04] DENKTASH ANNAN

Mr Denktash demanded that talks on the Cyprus problem be carried out on the basis of two states.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Denktash said that he would not accept the old formula of talks, which provided for political equality during talks, and that Glafcos Clerides would be addressed as the President of the Republic after the talks.

Mr Denktash also said that he told Mr Annan not to send any invitations for talks.

He added that the UN chief listened carefully.

[05] UN DENKTASH

The statement added that Mr Annan hopes to make steps towards launching a peace process in Autumn.

[06] NEOPHYTOU RODOUSAKIS

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Rodousakis said that they discussed cooperation in communications, public works, archaeological research, shipping, and harmonisation with European law, in view of Cyprus' accession to the European Union.

Mr Neophytou said that Greece offers its help in the national issues, and also those related to the economy and harmonisation.

Referring to the Athens earthquake, Mr Neophytou assured that his Ministry would offer any possible help to ease the pain of the Greek people.

[07] BRITON DEAD

Twenty-five-year-old Rob Porte was injured during a boat exercise and taken to the Bases Hospital, where he died last night.

[08] MIDEAST

After meeting Israeli representatives in Gaza, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat approved maps, agreed under a revised land-for-security accord, designating the areas coming under civilian administration.

But since Israel will retain security control over the land, the transfer -- the second step in the revamped Wye River accord signed in Egypt on Sunday -- will not involve an Israeli troop pullout.

Israeli security officials said Israel would complete the transfer of powers in 16 civilian areas, including electricity, water and control of religious and archaeological sites, next week after the end on Sunday of the Jewish New Year holiday.

Israel began implementing the accord, signed by Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat in Egypt, by setting free 199 Palestinian prisoners yesterday.

The deal called for Israel to hand over a further 11 percent of the West Bank to full or partial Palestinian rule and release 350 Palestinian prisoners in two groups. It also set September 2000 as a target date for reaching a permanent peace accord.

[09] JAPAN SPACE

The launch of Japan's flagship H2 rocket from the Tanegashima space centre in southern Japan was called off at the last minute when it was discovered that an electric cable and metal fastener had detached from a weather satellite stowed at the top of the rocket.

The cable and fastener fell and left a one-centimetre scratch on the surface of a protective cover surrounding the satellite, although the satellite itself was unharmed.

Repairs should be completed in 48 hours, making another launch attempt possible on Sunday.

Japan's space programme has often been criticised for its high costs and frequent mishaps, attributed in part to the division of responsibility for the programme among no fewer than five government ministries.

[10] WORLD IN BRIEF

Indonesia faced world anger over the massacres of East Timorese, with the United States cutting military ties and predicting dire economic consequences if the violence is not checked.

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said it was "absolutely clear" the devastating explosion that destroyed a block of flats and killed more than 60 people was a terror attack.

Dozens of ethnic Albanians were injured and at least 15 other people were wounded in a confrontation over housing in the tinderbox Kosovo town of Mitrovica.

Russian troops bombed and shelled rebel positions in Dagestan, pushing guerrillas out of at least one village and stepping up attempts to drive out others from the mountainous republic.

Asia-Pacific economies offered a framework for the next round of global trade talks, suggesting they last three years and end in a single package of agreements instead of sector by sector deals.

Nigerian police said that 16 people had been killed during rioting yesterday at the port in the commercial capital Lagos.

China dismissed US accusations that it was intensifying restrictions on religious believers, asserting that people were jailed in China for breaking the law, not for their beliefs.

US President Bill Clinton's top trade negotiator made clear that the United States would not be rushed into a World Trade Organisation deal with China, saying it was more important to get a good agreement than press ahead prematurely.

[11] WEATHER

Winds will be westerly to southwesterly, moderate, four beaufort, and on the south coast five beaufort. The sea will be moderate.

Tonight will be mainly fine.

Winds will be northwesterly, light, three beaufort, and the sea will be slight to moderate on the west coast.

The temperature will drop to 19 degrees inland and on the west coast, to 21 on the south coast, and to 15 over the mountains.

The fire hazard is extremely high in all forest areas.

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article