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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 99-06-02Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>CONTENTS
WEDNESDAY 2 JUNE 1999 [01] HEADLINES--- An American Airlines jet trying to land in gale-force winds skidded off an Arkansas runway and burst into flames last night.--- In Cyprus, a priest said he buried 190 war dead in 1974 at the Lakatamia Military Cemetary, in many cases prior to any identification of the bodies. --- In Turkey, a suicide bombing appeared to warn of dire results if Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan, currently on trial for high treason, were hanged. AND --- The West and Russia settled last-minute differences over a Kosovo peace plan today. [02] USA PLANE CRASHAn American Airlines jet trying to land in gale-force winds skidded off an Arkansas runway and burst into flames last night, killing at least one or two passengers and injuring scores.Shaken but relieved passengers said they were stunned so many passengers escaped what they described as an inferno on the runway at Little Rock National Airport. At least 80 passengers were taken to hospitals with severe burns, broken bones and smoke inhalation. American Airlines and officials confirmed that some of the 139 passengers and six crew members on the MD-80 had died in the accident. But neither the airline nor airport authorities would say how many were killed. DEAD BURIED A priest, Andreas Christoforou, said he buried 190 war dead in 1974 at the Lakatamia Military Cemetary, in many cases prior to any identification of the bodies. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ioannis Kasoulides, said that the Government's task was not to blame anyone, but to solve the problem of persons missing since the Turkish invasion. Mr Kasoulides, who visited the cemetary today, did not wish to make any statement, saying that he would speak at a press conference tomorrow. The Minister then visited the laboratory, where DNA tests will be carried out on the remains of war dead. He said that everything was ready. [03] CLERIDES PATRIARCHThe Chairman of the World Council of Churches and Katholikos of Cilecia, Aram the First, arrived in Cyprus this morning on a two-day official visit.Speaking on his arrival at Larnaca airport, Aram the First referred to the close ties between the Churches and the peoples of Cyprus and Armenia. At a special ceremony tonight, the Armenian Patriarch presented President Glafcos Clerides with a medal for services rendered to the community. [04] YUGOSLAVIA STRIKESNATO warplanes attacked Belgrade and surrounding areas last night, just hours before key international envoys were due to arrive in the crippled capital to assess whether a peace deal might be within reach.Local media reported air strikes on many targets around the city into the early hours today. The official news agency Tanjug said Obrenovac, southwest of the capital, was hit by seven missiles and that Yugoslav air defences had "responded vigorously". It also said that one person was injured when a missile exploded near a petrol station on the road between Belgrade and the industrial town of Pancevo, about 20 km northeast of the capital. Belgrade residents, struggling to go about their daily lives in a city with little power, water or fuel after 70 days of bombardment, also reported hearing heavy explosions coming from various other points around the capital, and intense anti-aircraft fire. The southern province of Kosovo, at the heart of NATO's conflict with Yugoslavia, came under particularly heavy attack. Yugoslav media reported scattered NATO missile strikes on a variety of other targets, including the second biggest city Novi Sad and the major southern industrial hub of Nis. NATO jets have in recent days been increasing their attacks on Yugoslavia's electricity generating capacity and other civilian infrastructure such as water plants and bridges. Yugoslav authorities said the estimated damage done to the economy of federal Yugoslavia -- comprising Serbia and Montenegro -- by NATO bombing had now exceeded 100 billion dollars. [05] YUGOSLAVIA MEDIATIONThe West and Russia settled last-minute differences over a Kosovo peace plan today that Moscow's Balkan envoy said provided a "realistic chance" for ending the war in Yugoslavia.Viktor Chernomyrdin said both NATO and Russia would send troops under their own respective command to Kosovo as part of a peacekeeping operation under United Nations' auspices. He said NATO and Yugoslavia had to work out a document covering the withdrawal of Serbian forces from Kosovo so that a ceasefire could be declared. Both Mr Chernomyrdin and Mr Ahtisaari were to fly to Belgrade to present the plan to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, whose country holds the current presidency of the EU and Group of Seven Western powers, welcomed the agreement. [06] YUGOSLAVIA USAThe United States said today that with broad agreement on Kosovo between Russia and the West, the ball was in the court of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to accept their proposals.The US strategy in talks on Kosovo has been to try to close the gap with Russia in the hope that they could then submit a joint plan to the government in Belgrade. The sticking points were the composition of the international peace force and whether all Yugoslav troops would have to leave the province as the force moves in. [07] OCALAN TRIALKurdish rebels today backed their leader Abdullah Ocalan's courtroom call for an end to fighting, but a suicide bombing in the southeast appeared to warn of dire results if he were hanged.Turkish President Suleyman Demirel appealed to Ocalan's PKK guerrillas to surrender, saying further fighting was futile. Ocalan, captured by Turkish special forces in Kenya three months ago, faced the third day of his trial for treason today. At Monday's opening session he apologised for the deaths of soldiers in a conflict that has cost 29,000 lives since 1984. He offered to bring his fighters down from the mountains of the southeast if he was spared the gallows. But if he hanged, 5,000 suicide bombers would be ready to avenge him, he said. Today, apparently playing on historical Turkish fears of meddling foreign powers, accused Britain of manipulating Turkey's Kurdish conflict for its own ends. Ocalan, quoted by Turkey's state-run Anatolian news agency, said Britain had manipulated Kurdish nationalist sentiment in an attempt to weaken Turkey. Ocalan gave no specific examples of how he felt Britain was making use of his Kurdistan Workers Party. [08] ARIS SAILS INThe Greek Navy training vessel "Aris" sailed into the port of Limassol today.The ship arrived in the context of its training cruise to ports of the Mediterranean. There are 120 officers and crew on board "Aris", as well as 320 trainees, ten of which are Cypriot. [09] RUNAWAYRunaway Loizos Constantinou, who was yesterday extradited from Greece to Cyprus, was presented before the Assize Court today.He is facing charges of stealing air-condition systems, worth 19 thousand pounds. Constantinou told the court that he had gone to Greece after instructions by top Cypriot officials, to help sniff out a case of illegally importing guns to Cyprus. The Assize Court postponed the hearing for Friday, to examine whether to hold the trial behind closed doors. [10] WEATHER TVTomorrow will be mainly fine, with a few passing clouds locally, which may yield isolated showers over the mountains in the afternoon.There will be a moderate seabreeze of four beaufort, which will become five beaufort on the south coast in the afternoon. The sea will be moderate in windward areas in the afternoon. The temperature will reach 33 degrees inland, 29 on the south and east coasts, 27 on the west coast, and 24 over the mountains. The fire hazard is high in all forest areas. Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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