Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-04-30

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cynews.com/>

Thursday, April 30, 1998

`Well-known cleric has Aids'

WHILE speculation about the imminent visit to Cyprus of President Clinton's envoy Richard Holbrooke continued, several newspaper avoided leading with the peace efforts.

Simerini led with a report that a "well-known and very popular cleric" was an Aids sufferer. The cleric, who is not named, was at the newspaper's offices on Tuesday night when the news about his positive blood test was confirmed. The Archbishop was to be informed the following day.

The cleric had been taken ill three weeks ago and was admitted to hospital. While at the paper's offices, the priest wondered whether he had been infected with the virus while visiting Aids sufferers or while helping drug addicts who were carriers. Another possibility was that he had undergone a transfusion of infected blood last March.

Machi reported that Romanian security services had alleged that Cyprus was part of a network which supplied their country with "forged seals". The Chief of Security said that smuggling network operated from Greece, Bulgaria and Cyprus and dumped 10 million cartons of cigarettes in Romania each month.

Shipping documents showed that the cigarettes had been sent by a company based in Cyprus, but no such company is registered here the paper said.

Haravghi castigated the police for their excessive use of force in preventing students of the Higher Technological Institute from entering the grounds of the Finance Ministry. Students were protesting against the government's refusal to satisfy their demand for professional recognition.

Armed with truncheons, the police treated the students like common criminals, the paper said. Police, reinforced with members of the Mobile Action Unit (Mmad) attacked the students, two of whom were seriously injured.

Phileleftheros said that the US and European Union were expecting certain gestures from President Clerides so that peace talks could resume. They want Clerides to postpone the arrival of the S-300 missiles and to recognise the "separate Turkish Cypriot entity".

The paper's claims were based on a story sent by Reuters news agency from London, on the eve of Holbrooke's visit to Cyprus.

Alithia reported that Holbrooke would be in Cyprus for "serious work", which would determine the next steps in relations between Turkey and the EU. Holbrooke would interrupt his visit to go to Bonn for talks with the German government, which is the main obstacle to the development of talks between Turkey and the EU, the paper said.

Agon said that Hobrooke's aim was to ensure the resumption of peace talks in June.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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