Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 01-11-11

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Sunday, November 11, 2001

CONTENTS

[01] Annan says window for progress is still open

[02] Car bombed in Nicosia

[03] Road closed because of bridge damage

[04] Heroin suspect remanded

[05] Hunters warned to stay out of buffer zone

[06] Man shot dead in Limassol nightclub

[07] Paphos quakes

[01] Annan says window for progress is still open

UNITED Nations Secretary-general Kofi Annan believes that a window of opportunity for a Cyprus settlement is still open, reports from New York said yesterday.

Following a meeting between Annan and President Glafcos Clerides, government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou told CNA that despite the rejection of Annan's invitation to talks by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, the Secretary-general still had hopes for the resumption of the stalled proximity talks.

Papapetrou also said that the President had also discussed with Annan the latest Turkish threats to annex the north.

" The President repeated his readiness to sit at a substantive dialogue for the solution of the Cyprus question on the basis of Security Council resolutions,"Papapetrou said.

" The Secretary-general said that in spite of his disappointment, and in view of the fact that Cyprus' accession to the European Union creates some very pressing time limits, he considers that even after the rejection of his invitation by Denktash there remains the window of opportunity for a Cyprus settlement and this window is still open."

Papapetrou added that the Secretary-general would continue his efforts with Denktash and with Ankara to persuade the Turkish side to return to the talks.

On Thursday Denktash sent a letter to Annan suggesting that he and Clerides meet face-to-face. This move was seen as an attempt to avoid returning to the proximity talks. The Greek Cypriot side said that as soon as Denktash accepts Annan's invitation to return to the dialogue, Clerides would meet him face-to-face.

On Turkey's annexation threats, Papapetrou said Clerides had made it clear to the Secretary-general that " such threats were not going to put a stop to Cyprus' EU accession course" .

" President Clerides raised this issue to underline that Turkey is not co- operating with the UN by virtue of seeing Denktash back at the negotiating table but it is essentially causing further tension by violating the fundamental principles of international law,"Papapetrou said.

A statement issued after the 45-minute meeting between Clerides and Annan said that a large part of the discussion focused on Annan's good offices mission on the island.

The statement, issued by the office of Annan's spokesman, said that terrorism and the comprehensive test ban treaty were also part of the discussions at the meeting.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[02] Car bombed in Nicosia

The Mercedes was owned by Demetris Constantinou, co-owner of the Millennium Taxi company, although it was registered in another man's name.

The blast occurred outside Constantinou's home on Olympia Street in Lycavitos just after 5am. It was caused by a powerful handmade explosive device that was slipped under the driver's seat and was detonated using a slow-burning fuse.

The cost of the damage has not yet been calculated, police say, although the car was worth £43,000 and was insured for £30,000.

Nicosia CID are investigating.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[03] Road closed because of bridge damage

Because of the heavy rainfall the force of the river's current caved in one side of the bridge's old stone wall, and officials say the Altheriko- Anafotida road will now be closed until Christmas to enable repairs to be carried out.

Larnaca District officials tried shoring up the bridge, built in 1968, but were unable to do so. They have now assigned the repairs to a private construction company as the bridge is considered unsafe to cross.

The repairs will take between 15 to 30 days to complete, and in the meantime traffic will have to go through Anglisides to get to Anafotida or Alethriko.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[04] Heroin suspect remanded

Larnaca court heard Hassan Mustapha Assad was arrested upon his arrival from Lebanon at Larnaca airport on Friday night. Police said they searched him and found 100g of beige powder stitched into the soles of his shoes.

Upon further examination the powder was determined to be heroin, Drugs Squad officer Andreas Bryonis told the court.

After his arrest, police say he named his supplier as a man living in Lebanon.

The prosecutor asked that the suspect be remanded so police can try to locate Assad's alleged local buyers and associates.

Interpol has also been contacted in an attempt to track down the person the suspect named as his supplier.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[05] Hunters warned to stay out of buffer zone

In an announcement issued yesterday the UN force said it wanted to remind hunters of the need to conduct themselves in a responsible fashion, both for their own safety and for that of others.

" Hunters wearing camouflage outfits and carrying guns are easily mistaken for soldiers and therefore risk being fired upon by either of the opposing forces,"the announcement said.

" Firing guns in the area between the ceasefire lines increases tension because soldiers on duty cannot immediately determine where the shots have come from, and may feel obliged to react."

It added that in the past some hunters with loaded weapons have proved to be a hazard to each other and to UNFICYP personnel.

Some 55,000 people have obtained hunting licences this year, according to the Game and Wildlife Service of the Interior Ministry.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[06] Man shot dead in Limassol nightclub

A MAN was shot dead yesterday in a brawl at a popular Limassol nightclub.

Shortly after 4am, 25-year-old construction worker Nicos Costas Panayiotou from Kato Polemidia was seen having a heated argument with a man in his early 30s at the Priv&eacute; the Mouttayiaka district, police said.

Witnesses said the confrontation began at the club's busy bar, moving behind it towards a corridor connecting with the kitchen.

A single gunshot was then heard by a number of Priv&eacute;s customers, and Panayiotou came back into the club and collapsed to the floor, covered in blood. A number of patrons rushed over to him and administered first aid.

He was subsequently transferred to Limassol General Hospital, where the doctor on duty pronounced him dead.

Police say they are looking for a broad-built foreigner, probably Yugoslav, in his early 30s, about 1.85m tall with a dark complexion and short dark hair. He was wearing dark trousers and a black jacket.

CID officer Andreas Kariolemos yesterday refused to elaborate further, only saying that the prime suspect had not yet been found.

Kariolemos was unable to say whether or not the victim knew his assailant, or if Panayiotou was suspected of involvement in any crimes, although all possibilities are being investigated.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[07] Paphos quakes

The first tremor, at 4.24am, measured 4.3 on the Richter Scale and its epicentre was in Drimos Village.

It was felt in Stroumbi, Tala, Paphos and other local districts.

The second tremor occurred just after 6.30am with the same epicentre as the first and measured 3.3 on the Richter scale. No damage was reported.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article