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/Kranidiotis 'optimistic' on Cyprus talks/ LOCAL stories have started to be
given more prominence on the front pages than the war in Yugoslavia.
Yesterday only two papers led with the Yugoslavia crisis.
Alithia
reverted to the Cyprus problem, saying that the US, Britain and Russia had
undertaken an initiative, through the UN, for the resumption of direct
talks between President Clerides and Rauf Denktash. The process would start
off with proximity talks and develop into direct negotiations between the
two leaders, said Greece's deputy foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis.
Kranidiotis "appeared somewhat optimistic" about the prospects of a Cyprus
settlement and the island's EU accession course, after his talks in London
with British envoy Sir David Hannay and Russian envoy Vladimir Chizov. The
optimism was based on the fact that there had been some "positive
indications" in Ankara.
Haravghi,
under the headline "Workers' counter-attack", claimed that the tourism
industry would grind to standstill in a few days, as all hotel workers
would go on strike in protest against the government's supposed refusal to
solve the ongoing industrial dispute at two Larnaca hotels. Unions have
threatened to write warning letters to tour operators who are still booking
rooms at the two hotels where workers have been on strike for more than
three months. Union members working at Larnaca airport would refuse to
serve any tourists who are booked to stay at one of the offending hotels,
the paper said.
Machi,
for the second day running, led with a report about the activities of the
religious cult known as the "Disciples of Christ". The paper reported how
an Orthodox theologian managed to "infiltrate" the sect and save two
Orthodox youngsters who had become members. The theologian said that the
leaders of the sect were particularly worried about the coverage of their
activities in the media. The activities of the sect had been shrouded in
secrecy making it difficult for the Cyprus authorities to establish if
there was any substance to allegations that the sect had engaged in
espionage.
Phileleftheros
said that President Clerides had speeded up his dialogue with the party
leaders regarding government economic measures, so that they would be
approved before the House's summer recess. The Finance Minister told the
paper that his measures were aimed in three directions: reducing public
spending, raising taxes and giving social benefits. The final shape of the
government's proposals would be determined by the positions that the party
leaders would take during their second round of discussions with Clerides.
Simerini
said that the United States was intent on imposing a solution by force on
Yugoslavia. Speaking to Nato pilots in Germany, President Clinton said that
the attacks would intensify and stop only when President Milosevic accepted
the conditions set by the alliance. Clinton said he wanted the ethnic
cleansing in Kosovo to stop, all Serb troops to withdraw from the province
and all refugees to return to their homes.
Politis said that the
US had suffered its first casualties in Yugoslavia after an Apache assault
helicopter crashed during an exercise. Both American pilots were killed in
the crash.
© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999
