Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 99-05-09

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From: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] CHINA DEMONSTRATIONS

[03] NATO RAIDS

[04] YUGOSLAVIA RUSSIA TALKS

[05] RUSSIA VICTORY

[06] SIMITIS EUROELECTIONS

[07] CYPRUS PROBLEM MEDIA

[08] CHRYSOSTOMIS MISSILES

[09] MOTHER LEDRA

[10] WEATHER SUNDAY 9 MAY 1999

[01] HEADLINES

--- NATO hit communications sites in Yugoslavia and military positions in Kosovo during the night.

--- Russia celebrated the anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat today.

--- Cyprus said that the S-300 missiles will be deployed in Crete when they are officially handed over.

AND

--- Greece in on course for the June Euro-elections, with the Kosovo crisis at the centre of its campaign.

[02] CHINA DEMONSTRATIONS

The British Embassy in Beijing was also pelted with concrete rubble and paint. Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of at least a dozen other Chinese cities.

But after whipping up the popular fury by declaring the NATO strike a deliberate act of war, Chinese authorities pulled back from the brink, issuing a statement intended to limit the violence and soothe jittery foreigners.

Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao said that while he supported the keen patriotism of students, demonstrations should not go too far. He insisted that foreigners, including diplomats and businessmen, were safe.

NATO has said the embassy bombing, occurring almost seven weeks into an air war against Yugoslavia's military, was a tragic mistake and the United States has apologised to China.

[03] NATO RAIDS

The Embassy was hit on Friday night, killing up to four people and injuring 20. NATO said it struck the wrong target.

A Chinese team was reported to have arrived in Belgrade today to investigate the attack on its Embassy, which has sparked mass street protests in China.

Around 150 members of Belgrade's Chinese community staged a rally in the centre of Belgrade today carrying slogans such as "Stop the aggression, you will pay in blood" and "Yugoslavia is the winner, America the loser".

Tanjug said two NATO missiles struck a TV transmitter on Mount Rudnik in central Serbia, knocking out national and local television and radio broadcasts. Another transmitter 30 km south of Belgrade was also destroyed.

The overnight raids avoided major cities such as the industrial centre of Nis, Serbia's third largest, where 15 people were reported killed and 70 injured on Friday.

[04] YUGOSLAVIA RUSSIA TALKS

Mr Chernomyrdin, who held talks on the Kosovo crisis in Bonn yesterday, explained the unspecified circumstances to Mr Milosevic during a telephone conversation today on the way to the airport.

Speaking on arrival in Moscow, Mr Chernomyrdin said that new serious questions and circumstances had appeared, which was why he decided to fly to Moscow and not to Belgrade.

He gave no further details, but said he intended to speak by telephone with Russian President Boris Yeltsin, Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov and Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.

Mr Chernomyrdin plans to hold talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott early this week.

[05] RUSSIA VICTORY

Leaders of the NATO alliance have compared the Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to Hitler. But veterans in Russia, which bore the brunt of fighting against Nazi Germany, strongly disagreed.

Russians, who feel a common Slavic and Orthodox Christian bond with Yugoslavia, have rallied against the NATO air war.

Russian President Boris Yeltsin presided over the Red Square parade.

He said World War Two was a lesson in the danger of war spreading.

The Soviet Union suffered more than any other country during World War Two, losing 27 million people, and its victory over Nazi Germany was one of the few lasting Soviet-era achievements.

[06] SIMITIS EUROELECTIONS

Prime Minister, Costas Simitis, on a tour of the Greco-Albanian borders, said that Greece has been calm and determined during the war in Yugoslavia.

He said that his country is working for peace and is maintaining a stable line, without being cut off.

Mr Simitis stressed that Greece is against intensifying NATO bombings, and is standing out for its humanitarian aid to the victims of the crisis.

Meanwhile, Costas Karamanlis, of the New Democracy party, began his campaign saying that twenty years downhill are more than enough, adding that his party would win the Euro-elections and change the political map of Greece.

[07] CYPRUS PROBLEM MEDIA

The Sunday newspaper "Adesmeftos" quoted sources as saying that the basis of the plan is the recently tried G8 plan for Kosovo.

The report said that neither side in Cyprus has been officially informed yet.

According to the scenario, if the Yugoslavia issue is solved within May, then the G8 would be summoned to meet in June, to discuss the Cyprus problem.

A Greek Foreign Ministry official told the newspaper that the frame of the proposal is a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

The report said that London would become actively involved in the case, and that Washington would appear more determined to face up to Turkish tactics of delaying the process.

The newspaper said that if all run according to schedule, then a proposal would be put forward for a solution by November, and might even be implemented.

[08] CHRYSOSTOMIS MISSILES

Speaking on his return from Athens and Crete, Mr Chrysostomis said that the reason the missile system has not yet been set up is because the Russians have not yet formally handed the missiles over.

He explained that the guarantee that comes with the military equipment provides for the missiles to be handed over in the presence of Russian technicians, who will arrive in Crete in the next few days.

Mr Chrysostomis also said that he will present a proposal to the Council of Ministers to increase the salary of permanent members of the National Guard, who are in Crete for the deployment of the S-300 missiles.

[09] MOTHER LEDRA

The mothers of missing persons since the 1974 Turkish invasion continued their demonstration today for the 33rd month, in an effort to cultivate awareness amongst tourists about Turkish atrocities and the occupation of the northern third of the island.

[10] WEATHER

The will be a moderate sea breeze of four beaufort, and the sea will be slight.

The temperature will reach 29 degrees inland, 26 on the coast, and 18 over the mountains.

The fire hazard is high in all forest areas.

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