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Thursday, 14 November 2024 | ||
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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 01-09-07Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>CONTENTS
[01] HEADLINESPresident Clerides confirmed that he will fly to New York on Monday to prepare for a new round of Cyprus talks,Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Farouk Lologlu is threatening that Ankara will take what he called steps without limits if Cyprus accedes to the EU, A telephone bomb threat interrupted trading at the Cyprus Stock exchange this morning, A 19 year-old soldier is in serious condition after his rifle backfired, And marine police collected seven crew members of a Cambodian flagged ship which issued a distress call off the Paphos coast. [02] cleridesPresident Clerides confirmed that he will travel to New York this Monday to take part in a new round of Cyprus talks at the invitation of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.President Clerides said he will go to New York to prepare for the talks and that he will gladly meet with Annan if he is asked. The President added that he will also meet with representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. But he expressed doubt as to whether Rauf Denktash will also travel to New York, since the Turkish Cypriot leader declared an absense of common ground. Regarding Denktash's letter to Annan, President Clerides said he has not been briefed on its contents, but that he does know from the Turkish Cypriot leader's remarks that he has made plenty of insinuations against Alvaro De Soto. Referring to Turkish threats against Cyprus' accession to the European Union, the President said Turkey will be automatically excluded from EU accession if it goes ahead with its threats. Regarding Denktash's proposal for secret direct talks, President Clerides said that Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Farouk Lologlu is unaware that the proposal was made is is refusing to either confirm or deny that it was. The President referred to a statement by Alvaro De Soto in which the UN official said that it is premature at this point to hold secret talks. [03] raufMeanwhile Rauf Denktash said yesterday that he will not attend the Cyprus talks scheduled for the 12th of September in New York.He added that he will officially inform the UN Secretary General of his decision in writing. [04] lologluTurkish Deputy Foreign Minister Farouk Lologlu warned of what he called "steps which will have no limits" if Cyprus accedes to the European Union.He added that if a Cyprus settlement based on equality is not found, then the occupied areas may be annexed by Turkey. Lologlu said further that Turkey will take measures proportionate to the European Union's decision on Cyprus's accession. The Turkish official made the remarks after a meeting yesterday in Ankara with Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. Commenting on Rauf Denktash's refusal to take part in a new round of talks, Lologlu said the New York discussions are doomed to fail if the ground is not prepared beforehand. He added that the Turkish side disagreed with the September 12 date the UN has set for the talks to begin. The Turkish official criticised the UN, saying that it must make even greater efforts. [05] christofiasHouse President Demetris Christofias said that UN resolutions constitute the basis for a Cyprus settlement, and not the September 12th statement made by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.Regarding Annan's invitation to both sides for a new round of talks in New York, Mr. Christofias said he is certain the President Clerides will staunchly defence the Greek Cypriot positions. Mr. Christofias made the remarks following a meeting with PASOK Central Commitee General Secretary Costas Skandalides. [06] cseTrading was interrupted at the Cyprus Stock Exchange around 11 this morning after an anonymous caller said that two bombs were in the bulding.The call was made to a private television station. Authorities were notified and the CSE building was evacuated as special search crews used sniffer dogs to locate any explosive device. At the time of the phone threat, the CSE Index was at 136.65 points, marking a drop of less than one percent. Volume was hovering at around 3.1 million pounds. [07] soldierA 19-year-old soldier is in serious condition after he was injured when his rifle misfired last night.Andreas Thrasyvoulou from Lefkara was taken to Nicosia General Hospital where he underwent surgery for a wound to his stomach area. A Defence Ministry spokesman said that none of Thrasyvoulou's vital organs were injured, except for a slight wound to his large intestine. The circumstances of the accident are being investigated by army authorities. Thrasyvoulou is serving at a Nicosia area army camp. [08] shipThe Cambodian-flagged merchant ship Lynne issued an SOS early this morning as it was sailing 12 nautical miles west of Paphos.A marine police patrol boat was immediately dispatched to the scene and collected seven crew members who had abandoned the vessel. Two of the crew were Greeks and the rest Ukranians. Representatives of the vessel's owners went to Paphos harbour to make arrangements to tow the ship to Limassol port. [09] britYeroskipou police arrested last night a young British man for illegally possessing a starters' pistol, bullets and knives.A police search of the house where the Briton was staying found another starters' pistol, 14 blank bullets and a gun holster. The weapons were seized as evidence, while the young Briton was remanded in the custody of Paphos police. [10] vandalsVandals destroyed last night twelve spotlights at Larnaca Pattichion amphitheatre. The damage is estimated at eight thousand pounds.House President Demetris Christofias is scheduled tonight to address an event in remembrance of the occupied village of Lyssi. Larnaca municipality technicians are working feverishly to replace the broken spotlights in order to allow the event to go ahead. Larnaca CID officers were also at the scene to gather evidence in the hope of tracking down the vandals. [11] truckAn empty tanker truck overturned on the Limassol-Nicosia highway near Hirokitia this morning.The driver of the truck, 55-year-old Limassol resident Panayiotis Pantelis was slightly injured. The truck careered into a roadside ditch probably due to slick road conditions caused by heavy rains in the area. Kofinou police closed of the section of the highway and called in a special tow truck to lift the tanker out of the ditch. [12] sirensAnd finally, police announced that the sirens wailing in the area of Nicosia's International Conference Centre are because of tests being conducted by Civil Defence staff.The siren tests began at eight thirty this morning and will end in about an hour. [13] weatherThis afternoon will be cloudy with the chance of isolated showers and thundershowers.Winds will be southwesterly to westerly moderate to fresh, 4 to 5 beaufort, but strong, 6 beaufort on the southern coast. Seas will be moderate to rough. Mainly fine conditions tonight with some scattered clouds. Winds will be westerly to northwesterly moderate, 3 to 4 beaufort with moderate seas. Temperatures will drop to 20 degrees inland, 23 on the coasts and 12 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 |