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Sunday, 22 December 2024
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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 04-12-07Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>CONTENTS
[01] HeadlinesTurkey will have to prove its track record of implementing European Union law, not just of adopting it, to make progress in EU membership talks, according to a second revised draft summit text circulated last night,Meanwhile, the current president of the European Council, Dutch prime minister Yan Peter Balkenende, is expected on the island in around an hour's time, for talks with President Papadopoulos, An Israeli soldier and a Palestinian militant were killed in Gaza at dawn, in a resurgence of violence that could threaten efforts to instil calm for a Palestinian election for a successor to Yasser Arafat and The BBC is to axe at least 10 percent of its jobs and trim 320 million pounds in costs amid a review of its governing charter [02] EU draftTurkey will have to prove its track record of implementing European Union law, not just of adopting it, to make progress in EU membership talks, according to a second revised draft summit text circulated last night. The draft, circulated by the Dutch EU presidency for discussion by ambassadors tomorrow, spells out in more detail the benchmarks Ankara will have to meet to advance in the negotiations but it mentions no start date. It maintains the reference to Turkey going ahead with a de facto recognition of the Republic of Cyprus, with an amendment of the customs union agreement, covering all ten new members of the EU. There is only a small change to the initial wording of the paragraph in question, concerning the phrase new member states, which was replaced by ten member states. The draft, prepared by the Dutch presidency, also refers to Greco-turkish relations, welcoming Ankara's improvement of bilareral relations with its neighbours. The leaders are expected to agree to open negotiations probably in the second half of next year, but France, Austria and Denmark are demanding that the document envisage an explicit alternative short of full membership if the talks fail. Ankara will study the document during a meeting later this afternoon, between president Ahmet Sezer, prime minister Tayip Erdogan, foreign minister Abdullah Gul and other officials of the foreign ministry.[03] Balkenende CyprusMeanwhile, the current president of the European Council, Dutch prime minister Yan Peter Balkenende, is expected on the island in around an hour's time, for talks with President Papadopoulos, on the revised draft of conclusions regarding Turkey's accession course. Mr Balkenende is flying from Athens, where he held talks with Greek prime minister Costas Caramanlis.[04] Thrasou not pleasedThere was yet another twist in the plot of the Cyprus Airways saga today, as the president of the board Constandinos Loizides, went to Brussels to seek the support of the European Union, to save the company. Communications minister Charis Thrasou expressed dissatisfaction over Mr Loizides's action, who should, he added, have notified and consulted with the government. The minister confirmed that the cabinet is not pleased with the executive board of the national carrier, but given the crisis, it does not consider it wise to bring up the issue at this time. Regarding the company's labour dispute with the unions, Mr Thrasou expressed the hope that the two sides will be able to reach certain compromise within the one week deadline given. This, he added, will give the government time to find ways to help support the company financially.[05] Mideast fightingOver to foreign news... An Israeli soldier and a Palestinian militant were killed in Gaza at dawn, in a resurgence of violence that could threaten efforts to instil calm for a Palestinian election for a successor to Yasser Arafat.Hamas gunmen detonated a bomb hidden in a chicken coop that troops were searching and then opened fire, killing one soldier and wounding four others. Israeli forces hunting for the attackers killed an Islamic Jihad militant in a missile strike. The Hamas ambush, which shattered a relative lull in fighting in occupied Gaza since Arafat's death last month, came amid a bid by moderate former prime minister Mahmoud Abbas to coax militants into a ceasefire ahead of a January 9th election. Polls show Abbas, favoured by Israel and Washington as a potential peacemaker, in a dead heat with Marwan Barghouthi, a leader of a Palestinian uprising held in an Israeli jail for more than two years. [06] Mideast fightingOver to foreign news... An Israeli soldier and a Palestinian militant were killed in Gaza at dawn, in a resurgence of violence that could threaten efforts to instil calm for a Palestinian election for a successor to Yasser Arafat.Hamas gunmen detonated a bomb hidden in a chicken coop that troops were searching and then opened fire, killing one soldier and wounding four others. Israeli forces hunting for the attackers killed an Islamic Jihad militant in a missile strike. The Hamas ambush, which shattered a relative lull in fighting in occupied Gaza since Arafat's death last month, came amid a bid by moderate former prime minister Mahmoud Abbas to coax militants into a ceasefire ahead of a January 9th election. Polls show Abbas, favoured by Israel and Washington as a potential peacemaker, in a dead heat with Marwan Barghouthi, a leader of a Palestinian uprising held in an Israeli jail for more than two years. [07] BBC cutsThe BBC is to axe at least 10 percent of its jobs and trim 320 million pounds in costs amid a review of its governing charter, according to a BBC executive familiar with the plans.Director General Mark Thompson, who famously described the BBC as "basking in a Jacuzzi of spare public cash" when he ran rival broadcaster Channel 4, will announce the cuts in a presentation to staff later today. At least two thousand nine hundred of the BBC's twenty eight thousand jobs will be cut over two to three years. Newspapers reported that up to 6,000 jobs could go in the end. The plan is part of Thompson's strategy for safeguarding the licence fee -- a tax on UK television-owning households that brings in some 2.8 billion pounds per year for the BBC -- and preparing the broadcaster for Britain's switchover to digital, multichannel television. [08] Turner prizeGeorge W. Bush's home town in Texas has beaten Osama bin Laden's villa in Afghanistan to land one of Britain's best-known and controversial art prizes.Crawford, Texas, where the U.S. president has his ranch, is the starting point for a video journey filmed by British artist Jeremy Deller, who won the 25,000-pound Turner Prize for his work late last night. The video ends in Waco, Texas, scene of the siege at the headquarters of the Branch Davidian religious sect in 1993. Among the other pieces submitted for the prize was a virtual video tour of an empty villa in Afghanistan which was once occupied by Bush's nemesis bin Laden. Nicholas Serate, director of the Tate gallery, which organized the Turner prize, said that this is a period of big political change and the judges felt that Deller's work reflected that. The Turner Prize nearly always stirs heated debate over what is art. [09] WeatherShowers and isolated thunderstorms are forecast for this afternoon. Winds will be moderate southeasterly to southwesterlt, force three to four, over slight seas. Temperatures will reach 17 degrees inland, 19 in coastal areas and 10 over the mountains. Tonight, there's more rain, with isolated thunderstorms. Winds will be light to moderate, northwesterly to northeasterly, force three, turning moderate force three to four, on the western and eastern windward coastal areas, over slight seas. Temperatures will drop to 10 degrees inland, 12 in coastal areas and six over the mountains.Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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