Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 02-12-17

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

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

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] GOVT MEASURES TC

[03] OLGUN CYPRUS

[04] IRAQ

[05] FRANCE

[06] MIDEAST POL

[07] ACCIDENTS DEAD

[08] WEATHER TUESDAY 17 DECEMBER 2002

[01] HEADLINES

-- The policy which the Turkish side will follow during the negotiations for a Cyprus settlement remains vague.

-- U.N. inspectors set out at dawn today to search Iraq for banned weapons after Washington found fault with an Iraqi arms disclosure and vowed to give Baghdad no second chances.

-- The United States and Israel appeared to be in no hurry to push ahead with a new Middle East peace plan as Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat accepted a British invitation to send a delegation to London for talks on peace next month.

And, * Three people were killed today in road accidents in Cyprus.

[02] GOVT MEASURES TC

A subcommitteem made up of Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, Finance Minister, Takis Klerides, Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou, Chief Negotiator at the Accession negotiations, George Vassiliou, Attorney-General Alecos Markides and other officials, worked on the measures this morning and will be given to President of the Republic Glafcos Clerides and then will be placed before the Council of Ministers.

President Clerides had said that the package includes political and economic measures, noting that Turkish Cypriots, as citizens the Republic, should take advantage of the benefits of accession.

[03] OLGUN CYPRUS

In statements in Ankara, Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash's advisor, Ergun Olgun said it has not yet been decided whether the Turkish Cypriot side take part in direct or proximity talks.

A joint meeting between officials from Turkey's Foreign Ministry and so called officials of the Denktash regime will meet today in Ankara.

[04] IRAQ

Gold jumped to a five-year high, oil prices surged and the dollar slid to a three-year low against the euro, as fears grew the United States would go to war against Iraq.

Iraqi officials said nuclear, biological and chemical experts fanned out from Baghdad to Mosul.

The United States and its ally Britain have signalled they are ready for war if Iraq breaches a tough U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at ensuring it has no weapons of mass destruction.

The inspectors have so far reported nothing untoward since they returned to Iraq last month after a four-year absence.

[05] FRANCE

Police sources said documents and 5,000 dollars cash was also found during yesterday's raid on the apartment, but it was too early to say whether an attack had been in the planning.

According to sources, the results of tests on the chemicals would be known within 48 hours. The source added two of the three suspects were Algerians, while the third was believed to be Moroccan.

France has launched several raids in recent weeks to hunt down Islamic militants amid fears the al Qaeda network and other groups are planning attacks in the run-up to Christmas.

France's five million-strong Muslim minority is Europe's largest.

[06] MIDEAST POL

President Arafat accepted British Prime Minister Tony Blair's offer yesterday and called on international mediators to finalise the new peace blueprint, which envisages an end to two years of violence in the region and a Palestinian state by 2005.

But Israel has asked Washington to go slowly on the plan, known as the "road map," until Israeli elections on January 28, and U.S. officials have discouraged expectations that a meeting of mediators later this week will release a definitive document.

Meanwhile, violence continued unabated in the Gaza Strip and Arab nations circulated a draft resolution asking the U.N. Security Council to condemn Israel for the recent killings of three United Nations staff in the Palestinian territories.

[07] ACCIDENTS DEAD

Costas Spyrou, 53, from Aridiou and Bulgarian Ivailo Galanoc, 31, were killed when the truck which Spyrou was driving, accompanied by Galanov on their way to Paphos crashed with a vehicle which was on the side of the road.

The second accident occurred on the Akropoleos Avenue in Nicosia. Andreas Christofides, 77, from Latsia, was killed when his car collided with another car, driven by soldier Ioannis Syranides, 19.

Syranides was lightly injured and taken to the military hospital.

[08] WEATHER

Winds will be north-easterly to south-easterly moderate to strong, four to five beaufort, and the sea moderate to rough in windward areas. Temperatures will be 13 C inland, 16 C on the coasts and five over the mountains.

Tonight, there will be cloud at times with local rain and snow over Troodos. Winds will be northerly to north-easterly light to moderate, three to four beaufort and the sea slight to moderate in windward coastal areas. Temperatures will fall to six degrees inland, nine on the coasts and 2 over the mountains.

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