Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 00-05-10

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

CONTENTS

[00] WEDNESDAY 10 APRIL 2000

[01] HEADLINES

[02] VASS CONDITIONS

[03] CLER WEDNESDAY

[04] KAS ITALY

[05] KOSHIS SCOTYARD

[06] DRUGS ARRESTS

[07] CSE

[08] CYBC TRANSMISSIONS

[09] TAILER

[10] WEATHER

[01] HEADLINES

The Italian parliament reiterates its position that a resolution of the Cyprus Issue foes not constitute a prerequisite for the island's EU-accession;

The Minister of Justice and Public Order confirms reports that Scotland Yard detectives are currently in Cyprus on official business;

A Turkish-Cypriot man immortalised by Lawrence Durrell was shot dead on Monday;

Four Britons and one Cypriot are detained by Police in drug-related incidents;

There's football on CyBC's First Television Channel tonight;

and...

A young British novelist wins the prestigious IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

[02] VASS CONDITIONS

The operation, which began at 11 o'clock this morning and is expected to last some five hours, is being performed at London's National Neurology and Neurosurgery Hospital by Professor Alan Crockhard and a team of eminent neurosurgeons, noted around the world for their successes in similar invasive procedures.

Even though originally scheduled for this afternoon, the results of an examination and tests on Mr Vassiliou prompted the head-surgeon to bring the operation forward.

On his arrival in the British capital last night, accompanied by his wife and two daughters, Mr Vassiliou expressed the certainty that all will go well.

[03] CLER WEDNESDAY

The announcement was made by Health Minister Frixos Savvides, who went on to say that after leaving the clinic, the President will remain at home for a few more days before going back to his office.

Health Minister Savvides also noted that the President is hale and hearty and in good humour, adding that visits of various officials and functionaries to the clinic are not only of a cursory nature, but also deal with matters of state and government.

[04] KAS ITALY

Committee members once again referred to their October resolution, which calls on Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to set aside all conditions and attend Cyprus talks on the basis of the Group of Eight memorandum and UN Security Resolution 1250.

Addressing the Committee, Cyprus' Foreign Minister did not hide his concern that Mr Denktash, supported by Ankara, continues to demand the recognition of two separate political entities and a confederal solution to the island's problem before proceeding to substantive negotiations with President Clerides.

At the same time, Foreign Minister Kassoulides warned that any position which could possibly be interpeted as an acceptance of the Turkish side's so-called "realities", serves only to foster Mr Denktash's intransigence and hinders efforts towards a solution.

Cyprus' Foreign Minister returns to the island tonight.

[05] KOSHIS SCOTYARD

Speaking after a visit to the Evanglistria Clinic and commenting on various reports carried by the local press, Nikos Koshis did say however that the London-based detectives are in Cyprus following a request filed by Scotland Yard with his Ministry.

T/C MURDER

A Turkish-Cypriot man who figured as a loveable rogue in British author Lawrence Durrell's book "Bitter Lemons" was shot dead in the occupied part of Nicosia on Monday, with the news being carried by Reuters late yesterday afternoon.

According to a Turkish-Cypriot police announcement issued yesterday, a lone gunman walked into a hotel run by 76-year-old Sabri Tahir and shot him four times in the head, while an eye-witness said, in a direct quote, "A man walked up to the bar and ordered a glass of water, he drank it down then walked over to Sabri, pulled out a gun and shot him. Then he laughed."

The alleged killer, a 24-year-old former bodyguard at the hotel, later gave himself up to police.

Tahir, an estate agent during Durrell's 1950's stay on island, had a whole chapter devoted to him and his cunning business acumen. He had been wheelchair-bound since a shooting attack in 1996, but prior to that his car was destroyed by a bomb in 1990, while his only son had been stabbed to death 10 years earlier.

[06] DRUGS ARRESTS

Having received a tip-off that three of the detained were involved in the peddling of the substance in Ayia Napa square, Police managed to arrest two following a chase and after the suspects got rid of some 100 pills by throwing them in the Monastery garden. The third suspect was detained outside his hotel, while the fourth was apprehended while trying to flee and dropping a bag containing another near the hotel entrance.

All four are to appear before the Famagusta District Court today.

Meanwhile, 26-year-old car painter Demetris Kapnoulas from Nicosia was today remanded for six days following a quantity of illegal substances found on his person last night, while driving along the Limassol-Paphos motorway. The substances in question include a green vegetable matter and a white powder, believed to be cannabis and cocaine respectively, with a total weight of eight-and-a-half grams. Kapnoulas told the Court that the substances were purchased for his own use from Nicosia.

[07] CSE

Today's overall volume of trading also experienced an increase, reaching around 35 million pounds, up one-and-a-half million from yesterday.

High transactability was today observed in Louis Cruise Lines, Droushia Heights and Orphanides shares, while the Ceilfloor stock showed an impressive trading record, at one point touching close to four pounds per share.

[08] CYBC TRANSMISSIONS

Meanwhile, in last night's second semifinal between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the Spanish team lost by 1 goal to 2 but still made it through to the final since it had defeated the German team by 2-0 in the first semifinal.

Barcelona versus Valencia then tonight, at a quarter-to-ten on CyBC's First Television Channel.

[09] TAILER

Nicola Barker, 34, scooped 100,000 Irish pounds (or 114,000 US dollars) along with the annual International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, for her novel "Wide Open", a tale about a group of misfits coming to terms with life during a sojourn on a remote island. Hailing the novel's "razor-sharp comic sensibility and flawless structure", and saying that it took magic realism and grotesque tradition to new and risky heights, the judges also described Barker as "one of the most interesting writers in Britain".

Other contenders for the award included Nobel prize winner Toni Morrison for her book "Paradise", veteran US novelist Philip Roth for "I married a Communist", Scottish poet and novelist Jackie Kaye for "The Trumpet", Irish writer Colum McCann for "This Side of Brightness", and US-based 1999 Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Cunningham for "The Hours".

[10] WEATHER

Generally fair conditions are also forecast for tonight, with winds however turning to light northerlies, 2-3BF, on slight seas, and temperatures dropping to 14C inland and in the west, 16C in all other coastal regions, and 10C on the higher reaches of the Troodos mountains.

The fire hazard is high in all forest areas.

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