Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 03-02-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] FATALITY RAIN

[03] THEMISTOCLEOUS DAMAGE DAMS

[04] WEATHER COND ROADS

[05] SNOW

[06] ECKHARD ANNAN

[07] UN MEETINGS

[08] YAKIS CYPRUS

[09] IRAQ DEVELOP

[10] N KOREA TEST

[11] WEATHER THURSDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2003

[01] HEADLINES

-- The rain in the island's dams has reached to 112 percent of their capacity for the month of February, said Agriculture Minister, Costas Themistocleous, noting that six million cubic metres have entered the dams since yesterday.

-- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is considering a trip to Greece, Turkey and possibly Cyprus during the last week of February, which is the period in which an agreement on Cyprus must be reached if the opportunity that now exists is to be seized.

And,

--Iraqi missiles are within the limits set by the United Nations, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said today, dismissing suggestions that Baghdad's rocket programme was in breach of U.N. resolutions.

[02] FATALITY RAIN

The water had almost covered the bus. George Fakalas, from Dhali, was found on his seat with his seat belt on.

It took more than six hours for rescue teams to reach Fakalas and pull him out of the bus. Fakalas was working for a private institute in Dhali and transported children to their homes. He had just finished his shift when he was swept away by the gushing river.

[03] THEMISTOCLEOUS DAMAGE DAMS

He said the capacity of the dams for the whole year has reached 49 percent, compared to 47 for the same period last year. There are now 133 million cubic metres of water in the island's dams.

Mr.Themistocleous also said damage from yesterday's torrential rain and flooding will be recorded and all those affected will be compensated.

Speaking in Larnaca, Mr. Themistocleous reminded that the government gave six million pounds in damages last year to fruit and vegetable growers.

[04] WEATHER COND ROADS

[05] SNOW

Police said the road Kakopetria - Karvouna and Kakopetrias - Agios Nikolaos - Pine Wood are slippery while the road Orkonta - Kalopanagioti is dangerous.

The road St. George Kavkalou - Kanavion is closed to all vehicles due to landslides and drivers are advised to use the road Kanavion - Spilion - Kakopetrias.

The road Orkonta - Kalopanagiotis is dangerous due to landslides.

The road Kakopetria - Karvouna, Agios Nicolaos Stegis and Pedhoula - Prodromos are slippery due to snowfall.

[06] ECKHARD ANNAN

The UN chief's Spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said yesterday that Mr. Annan strongly hopes that the negotiations underway for a Cyprus settlement will be successful and is prepared to continue playing a personal role to this end, adding that Greece and Turkey have been approached on this possible visit.

Asked about Mr. Annan's trip to Ankara and Athens, and possibly Nicosia, Mr. Eckhard said ''these announcements maybe a bit premature but I can say the Secretary General is indeed considering a trip to the region during the last week of February, which is the period in which an agreement on Cyprus must be reached if the opportunity that now exists is to be seized''.

He added, ''Mr. Annan strongly hopes that the negotiations underway will be successful and he is prepared to continue playing a personal role to this end. Greece and Turkey have been approached on this possible visit'.

[07] UN MEETINGS

Present at the meeting will be Mr. Annan's special adviser Alvaro de Soto and UN Under-secretary for political affairs Sir Kieran Prendergast.

UN Secretariat sources have said that the meeting will review the situation in Cyprus and examine the prospects of a political settlement within the deadline of 28 February 2003 Annan has set out in a peace plan he put forward to the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot sides last year.

[08] YAKIS CYPRUS

Mr. Yakis went to the US yesterday, accompanied by Turkey's Finance Minister, for talks on the financial aid package which Turkey is seeking to handle the negative repercussions from a war in Iraq.

[09] IRAQ DEVELOP

He said Iraq is still within limits that are decided by the United Nations. Mr, Aziz arrived in Italy to put his case to Europe against a possible U.S.-led attack on his country.

Meanwhile, the United States struggled to rally a divided world behind an early war against Iraq as sceptics in the NATO Western alliance looked ahead to a keenly awaited report from U.N. weapons inspectors.

Meanwhile, a finding by a panel of arms experts that an Iraqi missile exceeds the range allowed under U.N resolutions may result in a tougher assessment of Iraq's cooperation when the U.N. weapons inspectors deliver crucial reports to the Security Council.

The six independent experts concluded that Iraq's production of the Al Samoud 2 rocket program had a range over 150 km, forbidden under U.N. Security Council resolutions.

At the same time, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said if reports about Iraq breaking limits on the range of its missiles were correct, Baghdad would be in breach of a U.N. disarmament resolution -- a potential trigger for war.

In Paris, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who supports France in resisting U.S. pressure for war in Iraq, was quoted as saying Russia could use its veto if needed in deliberations at the U.N. Security Council.

In Berlin, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said a peaceful resolution of the Iraq crisis was still possible and that he would fight for it alongside France, Russia and other countries.

[10] N KOREA TEST

The report came as international pressure mounted on Pyongyang over a nuclear crisis that is headed to the United Nations Security Council after months of brinkmanship by the communist state.

Kyodo news agency quoted U.S. intelligence sources in Washington as saying that movements of people and vehicles at a testing facility on North Korea's northeastern coast had picked up in early January.

It was not known whether North Korea went as far as injecting liquid fuel into the engine for a ground test, the sources said.

There was a possibility that North Korea, aware it was being watched by U.S. spy satellites, ordered the flurry of activity to convince Washington of its intention to develop long-range missiles.

Yesterday U.S. intelligence officials told the U.S. Senate that North Korea was developing missiles capable of hitting the United States, although Pyongyang had not tested the missiles.

The U.S. warnings followed a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) governing board declaring North Korea in breach of atomic safeguards, sending the crisis to the 15-nation Security Council.

[11] WEATHER

Winds will be variable light to moderate, three to four beaufort, later turning to south-westerly to westerly moderate to strong breezes, four to five beaufort. The sea will be moderate to rough and very rough locally. Temperatures will reach 13 C inland, 15 C on the coasts and two over the mountains.

Tonight the weather will be cloudy and rainy with storms in some areas and snow over the mountains. Winds will be westerly to north-westerly moderate to fresh breezes, four to five beaufort, reaching strong to near gale, six beaufort. The sea will be rough to very rough. Temperatures will fall to seven degrees inland and on the east coast, to ten on the south and west, and minus one over the mountains.

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