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Sunday, 22 December 2024
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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 03-10-14Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>CONTENTS
[01] headlines n 14/10A spokesman for the Europarliament's President refutes the contents of Pat Cox's interview as presented in the Sunday edition of Cyprus' "Phileleftheros" newspaper;The President of the Republic is off to Luxembourg and then Brussels for a series of EU-related meetings; A general strike is being held in the occupied areas of Cyprus, along with a mass condemnation of the Denktash regime's policies; Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles re-enter the Rafah refugee camp after having pulled back on Sunday; The US revises its draft UN Security Council resolution on Iraq, without however setting a schedule on ending the occupation of the Arab country; and... Today's tailer comes to us no farther than our very own Limassol! [02] cox spokesFollowing Sunday's "Phileleftheros" report through which the newspaper presented Europarliamentary President Pat Cox as maintaining that only four of the six seats allotted to Cyprus in the legislative body should be filled in the absence of a solution to the island's long-standing problem by May 1st 2004, with the other two being reserved for Turkish-Cypriots, and the contrary opinions voiced both by President of the Republic Tassos Papadopoulos and the majority of political leaders save the opposition DISY leader, a representative for Mr Cox came out in refutal late yesterday.Speaking to our Brussels correspondent, Europarliamentary Presidential spokesman David Harley noted that the reactions were the direct result of misinterpretation and a wrong assessment of Mr Cox's words, noting that the President of the legislative body does not agree with the contents of the interview as presented, and adding that what was actually said was that Cyprus' 1960 Constitution is pluralistic, in that any discussion over issues of representation should be held in a spirit of co-operation, dialogue and mutual respect between the two communities. The spokesman further mentioned that Mr Cox did not voice a preference but merely made an observation, and neither did he position himself on the matter of Turkish-Cypriot representation, given that the established practice of six Europarliamentary observers is already in force, and will be strictly adhered pending a solution to the island's long-standing problem. [03] tassos luxThe President of the Republic meanwhile this morning left for Luxembourg for a series of EU-related meetings before going on to Brussels, where he'll be taking part in the ongoing Intergovernmental Conference on the European Convention.In statements at Larnaka Airport, and after being called upon to comment on press reports according to which Turkey appears willing to withdraw up to 5-thousand troops from Cyprus, President Papadopoulos stated that the announcement alone is insignifcant, given that it concerns only a small part of the occupying force and noting that what IS needed is a change in Ankara's fundamental positioning on the Cyprus Issue. As regards the filling of the six seats allotted to Cyprus in the European Parliament, the President of the Republic stressed that it should be made perfectly clear that there CAN be no talk of implementing the provisions of the Annan Plan prior to a solution of the island's long-standing problem, and that given this, no such messages should be passed along. [04] occu strikeThousands of workers in the occupied areas of the Republic today came out on strike in condemnation of the Denktash regime's policy, despite the illegal statelet's "official" admonitions not to heed the calls of the supraparty "This Land is Ours" platform, which had yesterday issued the call for the taking of industrial action.The mass rally began at 11 o'clock near Kyrenia Gate and wend its way to Seray Square, where shouts of condemnation were heard against the occupation regime's practice of granting the internationally-unrecognised "TRNC citizenship" to settlers from mainland Turkey, while protests were also voiced as regards recent hirings, transfers and promotions, all allegedly related to the Turkish-Cypriot general elections to be held this December. [05] mideast n 14/10Israeli troops and tanks rolled back into the Gaza Strip's Rafah refugee camp and battled Palestinian gunmen in the early hours of this morning, just days after mounting a devastating raid on the militant stronghold.Hospital sources said Israeli forces wounded at least three Palestinians in the latest incursion, which the army described as a resumption of its search for secret tunnels used to smuggle weapons across the border from Egypt. The same sources also mentioned that two out of the three people hit by Israeli gunfire had been unarmed. The pre-dawn raid in the southern Gaza Strip followed a three-day Israeli operation that wound down on Sunday, leaving eight Palestinians dead, including an eight-year-old boy, and more than 1,000 people homeless. UN relief officials said that 114 homes were flattened during the earlier raid, the deepest into the camp in six months, while witnesses said that three more homes were destroyed this morning after at least 40 tanks and armoured personnel carriers entered Rafah. [06] iraqi n 14/10The United States last night revised its draft UN Security Council resolution on Iraq, proposing a December 15th date for leaders of the Arab country to set a timetable for self-governance, but failing to put forward a schedule on ending the occupation.The draft, which US officials hope can be adopted tomorrow, is meant to meet objections to two earlier versions; it proposes that the United Nations recognize the 25-member Iraqi Governing Council as an "Iraqi interim administration, which will embody the sovereignty of the state of Iraq", even though it does not create a provisional Iraqi government within months as France, Germany, Russia, China and the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan himself seek. At the same time, it enhances UN duties but does not give the world body a central role in drafting a constitution and organizing elections, putting into doubt whether Kofi Annan would be willing to return political staff to Iraq following the August 19th bombing on the UN's Baghdad offices that killed 22 people. The draft resolution is the third effort since August by the Bush administration to get Security Council support for a measure aimed at attracting broader financial and military support to rebuild Iraq. In Washington meanwhile, George W. Bush yesterday rejected complaints from some members of Congress that he needs to assert more control over Iraq policy, saying, "The person who is in charge is me." [07] tailer bishop cyprusAnd today's tailer comes to us from no farther than Limassol, with Metropolitan Bishop Athanassios having offered to install confession boxes in every school, so that teenagers may be able to seek repentance for their sins.According to the "Phileleftheros" newspaper, the bishop reckons that whether nabbed smoking or engaging in anything else that would make parents' hair stand on end, the sanctuary of a confessional on school grounds would soon put teenagers back on the straight and narrow. Responding to the suggestion, an Education and Culture Ministry representative said: "It's an idea which has been conveyed to us and we are looking at it". On the other hand however, the teachers unions' appear to be against the idea, with the head of one specific union saying "Children are free to go to church if they wish but trying to force somebody into doing something can backfire." The youthful bishop is known for his novel approach to religion and is a popular figure in Limassol, where late morning services on Sundays were introduced a few years ago to give all-night revellers the opportunity to get to church. One can't help but wonder though what school confessionals would come up with... [08] weather n 14/10Generally fair conditions are forecast for this afternoon, with skies however marked by patchy cloud. Winds will be moderate, 3-4BF, west-to-southwesterlies inland and in the west and north, and southerly in the south and east, on slight seas, while temperatures are not expected to exceed 29C inland and in the south and east, 27C in the west and north, and 20C at higher altitudes.Generally fair conditions are also forecast for this evening, even though skies will be marked by high cloud. Winds will abate to light northerlies, 2-3BF, on smooth to slight seas, while temperatures will drop to 16C inland, 17C in coastal regions, and 10C on the higher reaches of the Troodos mountains. A note that the fire hazard is very high in all forest areas. Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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