Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 03-09-12

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] Arafat

[03] Cyprus Arafat

[04] Sweden

[05] Chrysostomides

[06] Traffic

[07] Talat

[08] AKEL

[09] Disy

[10] Vassiliou

[11] Church

[12] Weather FRIDAY 12/09/2003

[01] Headlines

Sympathy votes have put the "yes to the Euro" campaign of murdered Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh back in the race,

The government says there's little hope of restarting Cyprus settlement talks before December,

AND Turkish Cypriot opposition leader Mehmet Ali Talat says Ankara needs to solve the Cyprus issue before if it wants to join the European Union.

[02] Arafat

Calling Mr. Arafat an obstacle to peace but under U.S. pressure not to exile him, Israel's security cabinet vowed yesterday "to remove" him "in a manner that will be determined separately".

The wording left open options that could include killing Mr. Arafat or expelling him from the Palestinian territories.

Sources close to the government said it had asked the army to refresh plans to exile Mr. Arafat, but not immediately.

An unnamed White House official said exiling Mr. Arafat would not help the situation because it would give him an international stage on which he would continue to be an obstacle to peace.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said it would be unwise to expel Mr. Arafat, while French President Jacques Chirac said he considers Mr. Arafat the legitimate representative of the Palestinian Authority and that it would be a serious mistake to seek to eliminate him politically.

The European Union said exiling Arafat would likely escalate Israeli-Palestinian tensions. Russia said expelling him would "wipe away the prospects of a peaceful settlement".

Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians flocked to Mr. Arafat's headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah and pledged to defend him with their lives.

Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Ahmed Qurie, responding to Israel's decision, suspended efforts to form a cabinet, saying expelling Mr. Arafat could "blow up" the Middle East.

[03] Cyprus Arafat

Ruling party Akel said this is another step towards destroying all hope for the implementation of the roadmap to peace in the region.

The party urged the UN, the United States and the European Union to turn words into action to prevent the expulsion because it could possibly lead to a bloodbath.

Diko expressed the hope that the international community will act to defuse the explosive situation.

The party said cooler heads must prevail to safeguard whatever little hope there is to implement the roadmap.

And Edek honourary President Vassos Lyssarides has dispatched a message of support to Yasser Arafat.

The Party said Mr. Lyssarides condemns both Israel's decision and conditions on the ground which block the peace process.

[04] Sweden

But the Swedish crown slipped on foreign exchange markets as investors put more trust in a second poll indicating the "No" side had slightly extended its lead since the fervent pro-euro campaigner died of stab wounds early yesterday.

Thousands of Swedes mourning Mrs. Lindh were expected to march to show their outrage at the killing, which revived bitter memories of the unsolved assassination of Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986.

Police say they have made no arrests though one man was questioned on last night before being released.

Two days before the referendum on the European Union single currency, flowers piled up at the department store where the killer stabbed 46-year-old Lindh on Wednesday.

Ordinary Swedes and political leaders world over expressed their horror at the murder of Mrs. Lindh who was tipped as a successor to Prime Minister Goran Persson.

[05] Chrysostomides

Commenting on reports about Rauf Denktash's alternative to the Annan Plan, Mr. Chrystomides said that is just talk which is earning the Turkish Cypriot leader points through all the media attention he's garnered.

The spokesman said Turkish Cypriot leader remains the same old intransigent person who is unwilling to take a positive step or make any concessions.

Regarding calls for foreign observers to monitor the Turkish Cypriot so-called parliamentary elections, Mr. Chrysostomides said it's impossible to support a move that could be construed as entrenching division.

He said dispatching foreign observers is contrary to UN Security Council Resolution 550 and that the EU is not interested in sending its own monitors.

[06] Traffic

According to police, the two 16-year-olds, Apostolos Antypas and Andreas Georgiou were struck as they were trying to cross Limassol's Makarios Avenue.

The driver of the car, 35-year-old Anastasis Onisiforou apparently tried to pass a vehicle ahead of him from the left side of the road.

Both teenagers were flung onto another car from the impact.

They were taken to Limassol General Hospital, but Antypas had to be transferred to Nicosia General due to the severity of his head injuries.

[07] Talat

Mr. Talat, President of the Republican Turkish Party, said the only choice now available is the Annan plan and that a solution must secure the interests of the Turkish Cypriot community.

He added that a date will be set of a referendum on the UN settlement blueprint immediately following the north's so-called parliamentary elections this December.

The UN Secretary General will also be informed about the Turkish Cypriot side's readiness for settlement talks.

[08] AKEL

Speaking on CyBC radio, Akel parliamentary spokesman Nicos Katsourides said the party is nonetheless troubled by sending delegations into the occupied north.

This stems from the show of passports to occupation regime officials at checkpoints.

But Mr. Katsourides stressed the need for further strengthening relations with the Turkish Cypriot community to convince them of the Greek Cypriot side's good intentions.

He said the issue was discussed yesterday in a meeting between Akel officials and Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou.

[09] Disy

The European party condemned Rauf Denktash's stance which continually creates problems for both communities to communicate with each other.

The party also said that the next few months will be crucial in efforts to reach a Cyprus settlement.

[10] Vassiliou

Mr. Vassiliou said his party will release later this month the results of a detailed study into the economic aspects of the UN settlement blueprint.

Mr. Vassiliou said he views public discussion of changes to the Annan plan as a mistake because it sends the wrong messages to the Turkish Cypriots about Greek Cypriot intentions.

[11] Church

Paphos Bishop Chrysostomos said the committee which drafted the report has given him a list of all those who owe the Church, as well as a few creditors.

He stressed that not all those included in the list should be labelled as embezzlers because the overwhelming majority are consciencious citizens who simply completed above-board transactions with the Church.

The Paphos Bishop refrained from revealing any names, saying that answers would be given after Church leaders meet to discuss the report.

[12] Weather

Southwesterly to northwesterly winds, this afternoon, moderate to fresh force 5 to 6, with moderate to rough seas.

Temperatures will reach 33 degrees inland, 30 on the southern and eastern coasts, 28 in the west and 22 in the highest mountains.

More fine conditions tonight with moderate, southwesterly to northwesterly winds, force 3 to 4, turning fresh, force 5, in windward areas.

Seas will be moderate with temperatures dropping to 20 degrees inland, 21 on the eastern and southeastern coasts, 23 in the west and 14 in the highest mountains.

A reminder that the fire hazard is extremely high in all forest areas.

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