Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 04-12-22

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus police on alert for would-be illegal immigrants

[02] House President: Possible solutions did not represent Cyprus people's interests

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[04] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

[05] Spokesman confirms released French hostages are expected in Cyprus

[06] French journalists, former hostages in Iraq, return home via Cyprus

[07] Cypriot President happy over release of French journalists

[08] Missing persons expert to return in January

[09] National Council discusses EU summit outcome

[10] DISY and BDH say 17 December a new beginning for Cyprus

[01] Cyprus police on alert for would-be illegal immigrants

1025:CYPPRESS:01

Cyprus Police on alert for would-be illegal immigrants

Nicosia, Dec 22 (CNA) -- Cyprus Port Police vessels, aircraft and radars have been in a state of alertness since yesterday, as Italian authorities have informed Cyprus authorities that illegal immigrants were aboard vessels in the Eastern Mediterranean.

[02] House President: Possible solutions did not represent Cyprus people's interests

1430:CYPPRESS:02

House President: Possible solutions did not represent Cyprus people's interests

Nicosia, Dec 22 (CNA) -- Cyprus House of Representatives President Demetris Christofias has said the Cyprus problem has not been solved because the stance of the international community on one hand and Turkey's on the other led to possible solutions that did not represent the interests of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, but the interests of third countries.

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1435:CYPPRESS:03

Cyprus Stock Exchange

Nicosia, Dec 22 (CNA) - The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share
Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:

INDICES BASE VALUES: FTSEMed=5000, OTHERS=1000

TRADED VALUE                       364.065,79

GSE GENERAL INDEX                       72,18     1,01    346.407,92
FTSE/CySE 20                           338,79     1,70    251.932,55
MAIN MARKET INDEX                    1.015,43     1,70    252.902,80
PARALLEL MARKET INDEX                  895,13    -0,09     45.902,09
INVESTMENT COMPANIES MARKET INDEX      884,14     0,65     22.750,94
MAIN AND PARALLEL MARKETS INDEX      1.010,78     1,65    298.804,89
BANKS INDEX                          1.030,92     2,06    215.395,11
HOTELS INDEX                           883,54     1,10      2.414,60
ALTERNATIVE MARKET INDEX               833,10     0,42     39.884,05
FTSE Med (22/12/2004)                6.712,19    -0,80

* The second column presents the percentage variation of the indices

[04] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

1440:CYPPRESS:04

Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

Nicosia, Dec 22 (CNA) - Today's weather and temperatures for Cyprus,
according to the Meteorological Service at Larnaca International
Airport are:

Temperatures (degrees Celcius)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Station             Maximum       Minimum          Weather
(At 1200 UTC)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Nicosia               15             6              CLOUDY
Larnaca               19             9              CLOUDY
Limassol              19            10              SHOWERS      Paphos                18            13              SHOWERS

[05] Spokesman confirms released French hostages are expected in Cyprus

1500:CYPPRESS:05

Spokesman confirms released French hostages are expected in Cyprus

Nicosia, Dec 22 (CNA) -- Cyprus Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides confirmed today reports that the two French journalists, held hostages in Iraq, who were released on Tuesday are expected in Cyprus.

He said a French aircraft, carrying French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier will transfer the two former hostages back to France.

Chrysostomides said he is not at liberty to disclose any further information about the matter, following a request by the French government.

He explained that the formal welcome of the two French journalists will take place in France in the presence of President Jacques Chirac.

[06] French journalists, former hostages in Iraq, return home via Cyprus

1720:CYPPRESS:06

French journalists, former hostages in Iraq, return home via Cyprus

Nicosia, Dec 22 (CNA) - The ordeal of two French journalists, who were released from Iraq yesterday after four months of being held hostage, ended today, with the Republic of Cyprus facilitating their return to France via Cyprus.

CNA has learned that the two journalists, 37-year-old Christian Chesnot and 41-year-old Georges Malbrunot, were met at a local airport by French Minister of Foreign Affairs Michel Barnier himself and their relatives, who had arrived in Cyprus on board a jet.

The passenger jet landed in Paphos first, followed by a military C130, carrying the two journalists from Baghdad.

Chesnot and Malbrunot then boarded the jet and departed for France, accompanied by Barnier.

Tight security measures were taken all around the Andreas Papandreou military airbase in Paphos, where the two planes landed, and no one was allowed to approach the airport.

Sources said the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus and France, along with other involved services, arranged for the journalists to be picked up from Paphos.

[07] Cypriot President happy over release of French journalists

1843:CYPPRESS:07

Cypriot President happy over release of French journalists

Nicosia, Dec 22 (CNA) - Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos held a conversation today over the telephone with French Minister of Foreign Affairs Michel Barnier, to whom he expressed the great joy of the government, the people of Cyprus and himself for the safe release of the two French journalists, who were held hostage in Iraq, and for the end of the four-month ordeal of their families and the whole of France.

According to an official press release, President Papadopoulos spoke with Barnier immediately after the handover of the two French journalists to the French Minister at the Andreas Papandreou airbase in Paphos, Cyprus.

''The President of the Republic also expressed to Mr. Barnier his warm thanks for the constructive role France played during the recent European Council in Brussels,'' the press release says.

[08] Missing persons expert to return in January

1907:CYPPRESS:08

Missing persons expert to return in January

Nicosia, Dec 22 (CNA) - An expert from the INFORCE Foundation, with whom agreement has been reached to undertake exhumation work on both sides of the island with regard to missing persons, is expected to return to Cyprus in January 2005 with additional experts and equipment, for an exploratory investigation of one of the three sites presented by the Turkish Cypriot side in 1998.

[09] National Council discusses EU summit outcome

1910:CYPPRESS:09

National Council discusses EU summit outcome

Nicosia, Dec 22 (CNA) - The National Council, top advisory body to the President on the handling of the Cyprus problem, convened today to discuss the works and results of the recent Brussels European Council, which decided to give Turkey the 3rd of October as a date to begin accession negotiations with the EU.

Speaking after the two-hour-long meeting, Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said discussions would continue.

[10] DISY and BDH say 17 December a new beginning for Cyprus

1930:CYPPRESS:10

DISY and BDH say 17 December a new beginning for Cyprus

Nicosia, Dec 22 (CNA) -- Greek Cypriot party Democratic Rally (DISY) and Turkish Cypriot Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) met here today and agreed that last week's decision (December 17) by the European Union to begin accession negotiations with Turkey can be a new beginning for efforts to reach a Cyprus settlement.

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article