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Friday, 22 November 2024
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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 99-04-19Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>CONTENTS
[01] HEADLINES--- NATO said today it still rules out the possibility of sending ground troops into Kosovo.--- NATO hit three plants in a Belgrade industrial area. --- Cyprus expects the United States to propose alternative scenarios for a Cyprus settlement. --- The United States have said that all parties involved in the Cyprus problem must make concessions to find a solution. --- In Turkey, the people voted today in polls that will decide the fate of economic reform. AND --- An American-Serb couple were married today in Cyprus, as their respective countries refused to grant them permits. [02] WEDDINGAmerican Steve Rhyz and Serb Nadia Tomanovic married today in Paphos.Thirty-year-old Steve and 25-year-old Nadia could not marry neither in Yugoslavia nor the United States, due to the on-going crisis. The couple said that neither of their countries would issue the necessary permits. They met in Belgrade before the war broke out and planned to be wed these days, but due to the situation they came to Cyprus through Hungary. The mystery took place in Ayios Theodoros church in Paphos. [03] CITRUS/GRANTSCitrus fruit growers have requested a grant of 5 million pounds a year from the Government, instead of the 2 million given to them at the present.The growers held their general assembly today, during which their chairman, Costas Stefanou, said that the state grant was not sufficient. He said that to cover losses from crops during 1997, 1998 and 1999, 10 million pounds were needed. Addressing the meeting, Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Costas Themistocleous, said that during 1997 and 1998, the Government gave the growers 2 million pounds to upgrade the quality of the crops and improve the competitiveness of Cyprus fruits in foreign markets. He said that the Government would grant a similar sum this year. [04] CHRISTODOULOS IN SYRIAMinister of the Interior, Christodoulos Christodoulou, is in Damascus to sign an agreement on combating illegal immigration.Mr Christodoulou, who departed for Syria this afternoon, told the CyBC that the agreement will also regulate matters regarding the legal and illegal employment of Syrians in Cyprus. The agreement on illegal immigrants will be an interim one, until the signing of an official pact, to be reached after detailed negotiations. The immediate aim of the deal is to put an end to illegal immigration from Syria, which is the second country of origin of immigrants, after Lebanon. [05] CLERIDES CYPRUSPresident Glafcos Clerides said today that the United States are expected to propose alternative scenarios for a Cyprus settlement later this year.In an interview with "Fileleftheros" newspaper, President Clerides said that talks will focus on American scenarios, which will cover all aspects of the Cyprus problem. He also said that he expects pressure on the Greek Cypriot side regarding the constitution, and pressure on the Turkish Cypriot side regarding security and territory. President Clerides stressed that he would never accept a confederation solution, alternate presidency, or the recognition of a separate Turkish Cypriot entity. He also criticised leaks from National Council meetings, saying that it was like playing poker with open cards, while the Turks are keeping theirs closed. In a resolution, the growers demand immediate financial assistance from the Government, and the increase of yearly funds to 5 million pounds. [06] TURKEY ELECTIONSTurkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, his popularity buoyed by the capture of Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan, faced a strong challenge from the Islamist Virtue Party today in polls that will decide the fate of economic reform.Turkey's fourth premier in as many years offered himself at a final rally as guarantor of the stability needed to push tough reforms and tackle conflict in the mainly Kurdish Southeast. The dawn call to Moslem prayer brought out the early voters, with the hope that elections would bring peace and end the squabbling that has marred the country's politics. A total of 37 million Turks were eligible to vote, from the borders of Syria in the southeast to the Greek frontier in the Northwest. The Islamist Virtue Party, the biggest grouping in the old parliament, is mounting a strong challenge with its sights on government. But Virtue faces a possible ban later in the year on accusations that it is plotting to create an "Islamic" state order on Turkish soil. [07] MILLER CYPRUSUS Co-ordinator for Cyprus, Thomas Miller, said that all parties involved in the Cyprus problem must make concessions to find a solution.Mr Miller told Greek "Kathimerini" newspaper that the aim of the United States is to resume talks on all issues, and that it did not matter whether discussions were direct or not. In his interview, Mr Miller said that US efforts have been unsuccessful due to the stance of the Turkish side. [08] YUGOSLAVIA GROUNDNATO Secretary-General, Javier Solana, said today that the alliance still rules out the possibility of sending ground troops into Kosovo at this point and will stick with air strikes until the end of its campaign.Mr Solana, speaking on US television, said reports that NATO was drawing up plans for troops to be sent into Kosovo before a cease-fire were not true and that the alliance was not wavering from its commitment to achieve its aims with air strikes alone. London's Observer newspaper reported today that NATO was changing tack and drafting plans for possibly sending up to 100,000 troops into Kosovo as early as late May. Mr Solana dismissed recent suggestions from Belgrade that it might be willing to return to negotiations under certain conditions. [09] NATO STRIKESA pall of black smoke loomed over Belgrade today after NATO hit three plants in a nearby industrial area and media reported more injuries in Novi Sad.Studio B television said that a three-year-old girl was killed in the night air raid on Batajnica military airport to the north of the Yugoslav capital. The smoke belched from the Pancevo refinery, which is across the river Danube from the capital and which has been targeted several times in almost four weeks of NATO's punitive air strikes against Yugoslavia. The fires at Pancevo raised concerns about increased air pollution in the capital, but city authorities later said there was no serious health risk. Belgrade sounded the all-clear this morning, signalling the end of one of the strongest NATO air raids to date against industrial and transport infrastructure. Apart from the refinery in Pancevo, targets on the 26th day of the NATO bombing campaign included chemical plants and the refinery in Novi Sad, a military airport near the capital and another near Pristina, plus the main motorway from Belgrade to the Montenegrin capital Podgorica. [10] GREECE YUGOSLAVIAGreek Prime Minister, Costas Simitis, is to undertake an initiative to end the Yugoslavia crisis.Mr Simitis departed this afternoon for Washington, to participate in the three-day NATO summit to be held this week. Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Papandreou, said that Greece wants to convey to the summit the concerns of the whole region for peace. The Greek initiative is based on three points, which are: - the political solution of the crisis, as soon as possible, - stability, development and the inclusion of the Balkans in European policy, and - the handling of humanitarian problems, caused by the crisis. [11] World IN BRIEFAnd now for a look at developments around the world in brief.- - - - An Egyptian military court sentenced to death nine of 107 defendants in the biggest trial of Moslem militants since those that followed the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat. - - - - In Britain, authorities are still without definite leads as to who planted a nail bomb on a busy shopping street in south London, but they tried to quell growing speculation that the attack had a racial motive. - - - - In Germany, European finance ministers this weekend pledged to bite the bullet of reform and revamp their labour and goods markets, making it easier for companies to hire and fire staff and to sell their products. - - - - India's Congress party began the daunting task of cobbling together a new government from a rainbow of parties which brought down Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's 13-month-old coalition. - - - - The German parliament will hold a highly symbolic inaugural sitting in the renovated Berlin Reichstag tomorrow, with the ghosts of the past vying with the hopes of the future. - - - - In Bangladesh, at least 50 people were injured, including two victims of bombs hurled at a bus, in violence triggered by a nation wide strike. - - - - In Afghanistan, Taleban fighters and their foes clashed north of a strategic tunnel linking Kabul to northern par of the country. - - - - Indonesia condemned a bloody rampage by pro-Jakarta militia in East Timor, but said spiralling violence in the territory would not be allowed to derail a UN-brokered peace process. - - - - Korea Air Lines said it had found more evidence to back its theory that a mid-air explosion caused one of its cargo planes to crash in Shanghai last week. Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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