Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 02-04-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] Denktash

[03] De Soto

[04] Clerides

[05] Mideast

[06] World

[07] Return

[08] Weather TUESDAY 30 APRIL 2002

[01] HEADLINES

--- The UN Secretary General's Special Adviser on Cyprus Alvaro de Soto is expected to meet today in London with British Minister for Europe Peter Hain.

--- Israeli tanks maintained their grip on Hebron and swept into a village in the West Bank today as an end to Israel's siege of Yasser Arafat's compound drew nearer under a US-brokered plan.

And

--- In an emotional ceremony, France returned to South Africa the remains of a young woman who was a freak show attraction in the 19th century.

[02] Denktash

Mr. Denktash said it was "a plan for a solution" of the Cyprus problem and does not appear to be the one prepared by the Turkish Foreign Ministry and revealed by Turkish newspaper "Sabah".

The Denktash plan is a comprehensive collection of documents submitted by the Turkish Cypriot leader during the talks.

"Sabah" journalist Sedat Sertoglu told CyBC that the Turkish Foreign Ministry's plan was more detailed and noted it would be very useful to the leaders of the two communities during their talks.

Mr. Sertoglu said the plan provided for the establishment of a federal state named "United Republic of Cyprus" and has already been given to Mr. Denktash with instructions for it to be adopted.

[03] De Soto

Mr. de Soto is in London on his way to New York, where he will brief the UN chief and the Security Council on the course of Cyprus talks.

[04] Clerides

Speaking after this morning's meeting, Mr. Vassiliou said Cyprus has wrapped up work on the acquis communautaire chapter on competition.

He clarified that the closing of the chapter depended on when the EU would be meeting with the candidate countries and whether the House of Representatives would pass the relevant bill into law.

[05] Mideast

Palestinian security sources said nine people, including at least two militants and three security men, were killed in Palestinian-ruled Hebron yesterday after Israeli forces surged into the town and began house-to-house searches.

Before dawn today, Israeli armour rolled into the village of Shawara, east of biblical Bethlehem, imposed a curfew and made arrests, witnesses said. The army called it an operation to "thwart hostile terrorist activity".

US and British experts were to hold a second round of talks with Palestinian officials in Ramallah on moving six men wanted by Israel to a Palestinian prison where they will be guarded by US and British security personnel.

Once the foreign jailers are in place and the men behind bars, Israel says it will pull its tanks out of the Palestinian president's battered headquarters and grant him freedom of movement after confining him there for the past month.

The plan was proposed by US President George W. Bush.

While one standoff looked to be winding down as Washington stepped up its Middle East mediation, Israel and the United Nations remained locked in stalemate over a UN fact-finding mission to the shattered Jenin refugee camp, delayed for several days by Israeli objections.

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, in a letter to US Secretary of State Colin Powell, demanded that the mission should make only "findings" and not "observations", the UN term for conclusions.

The UN Security Council held off action on the Jenin mission yesterday, awaiting an Israeli cabinet decision today.

[06] World

- - - -

Fears that Madagascar's leadership crisis could split the island into separate states are growing after regional governors rejected a ruling declaring oppositionist Marc Ravalomanana president.

- - - -

The United States and Russia announced progress in negotiations towards an agreement on joint nuclear arms cuts after the discussion of new proposals which Moscow said it had put forward.

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The Argentine public, starved of cash for nearly a week, got hold of a few pesos when banks reopened but were still denied access to most of their deposits after a five-month freeze was tightened.

- - - -

An Indian cabinet minister resigned in protest against the government's handling of the country's worst religious violence in a decade, marking the first formal split in the fragile coalition over the issue.

- - - -

The United States regained its seat on the UN Human Rights Commission, a year after it was knocked off the panel it helped found in 1947.

- - - -

Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao, in line to become the next leader of the Asian nation of more than a billion people, toured Wall Street and the United Nations and laid a wreath at the site of the September 11 attacks, beginning his first official visit to the United States.

- - - -

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder warned the European Commission that Europe faces new threats from the extreme right if it pushes change too fast and citizens cannot cope with the pace.

- - - -

A UN Security Council mission is due to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo after meeting major regional players to try to end Africa's biggest war.

[07] Return

The skeleton, brain and sexual organs of Saartjie Baartman, exhibited in Britain and France as the "Hottentot Venus", were handed over at a ceremony at the South African embassy that capped years of negotiations between the two countries.

Baartman was born in 1789 under Dutch rule in the Cape. Around 1810, a British navy doctor took her to London, where she was shown off to visitors who paid to gawp at the African woman's unusually large buttocks and sexual organs.

"On behalf of the government and the people of South Africa, we want to thank the French government and the French people for handing over the remains of Saartjie Baartman," said South Africa's Deputy Arts and Culture Minister Bridgette Mabandla.

"This serves as a strong symbol of our friendship and solidarity," she added. "It's symbolic of the victory of women's dignity."

[08] Weather

Winds will be westerly to southwesterly, moderate, four beaufort, over moderate seas.

Tonight will be clear with local fine mist towards dawn.

Winds will be northerly, light, two to three beaufort, over slight seas.

Temperatures will drop to 11 degrees inland, to 12 along the coast and to 6 over the mountains.

Tomorrow will be fine with local clouds towards noon with a few local showers towards the evening.

Winds will be southwesterly, light to moderate, three to four beaufort, over slight to moderate seas.

Temperatures will reach 26 degrees inland, 23 along the coast, and 16 over the mountains.

Local showers are expected on Thursday, with mainly clear skies on Friday.

Temperatures will not change significantly.

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