Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 99-09-07

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

CONTENTS

THURSDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 1999

[01] HEADLINES

[02] WESTON ATHENS

[03] DISY PALACE

[04] TILI DEVELOP

[05] TIMOR POLITICAL DEVELOP

[06] RUSSIA DAGESTAN

[07] ALBRIGHT VIETNAM

[08] INDIA TROOPS

[09] ISRAEL BOMB

[10] LOGOS MEGA

[11] ATHINIS ARREST

[12] WEATHER

[01] HEADLINES

-- East Timor's capital Dili was burning and people were fleeing the besieged city today in another day of terror by militias.

-- A U.N. Security Council mission headed to Jakarta today as plans accelerated for an Australian-led peacekeeping force if Indonesia's imposition of martial law does not curb the carnage in East Timor.

-- Russian President Boris Yeltsin's top advisory body, the Security Council, today delayed by four hours a meeting to discuss a crisis in the volatile North Caucasus caused by a new incursion of Moslem rebels in Dagestan.

And,

-- Police suspect Israeli Arabs were inside two explosives-laden cars that blew up in northern Israel after a peace deal was signed with the Palestinians.

[02] WESTON ATHENS

The statement was made by State Department Coordinator for Cyprus, Thomas Weston after talks in Athens with Alternate Foreign Minister, Yiannos Kranidiotis.

Mr Weston, who left Cyprus yesterday afternoon, said there are many positive elements on the Cyprus problem but did not go into details.

On his part, Mr Kranidiotis said the Cyprus problem is going through a critical stage and acknowledged there are many possibilities for a serious initiative.

He also said the recent peace initiative in the middle east is creating conditions of optimism for Cyprus.

Mr Weston leaves for Ankara today for talks with Turkish officials.

[03] DISY PALACE

The meeting is part of President Clerides' contacts with the DISY leadership.

The party's political bureau meets this afternoon to discuss the latest disputes between party members.

[04] TILI DEVELOP

Hundreds of people have been killed in East Timor by gangs of rampaging pro-Jakarta militia since the August 30 independence ballot in which East Timorese voted overwhelmingly to break away from more than 23 years of Indonesian rule.

Jakarta declared martial law and a curfew in East Timor in an effort to stop the burning and killing.

A U.N. spokesman in Dili said earlier he had information that between one quarter and one third of East Timor's population of 800,000 were to be moved out of the territory.

An Australian doctor told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio the Indonesian military was planning a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Dili by forcibly evacuating East Timorese refugees.

The U.N. mission chief Ian Martin said Dili was in a state of anarchy. Catholic sisters sheltering 300 refugees, mainly women and children, said militias had threatened to attack at nightfall.

[05] TIMOR POLITICAL DEVELOP

Both U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Indonesia had some 48 hours to bring under control rampaging militia.

Meanwhile, Britain's Foreign Secretary Robin Cook expressed scepticism that martial law would end the bloodshed in East Timor, adding that it would press instead for international intervention.

[06] RUSSIA DAGESTAN

The rebel assault was the second by gunmen from the neighbouring breakaway region of Chechnya in just over a month and it followed a devastating weekend bomb attack in the Dagestani town of Bunaksk that killed at least 61 people, including 21 children and 18 women.

A Kremlin spokeswoman said that the council, which comprises top security officials including the defence and interior ministers, would meet this afternoon.

Earlier today, Mr Yeltsin met Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who was expected to chair the council's meeting.

[07] ALBRIGHT VIETNAM

A U.S. official said Mrs Albright and other APEC foreign ministers would hold talks, probably on Thursday, about the violence wracking East Timor.

The APEC leaders' summit will be held in Auckland, New Zealand, on September 12 to 13.

[08] INDIA TROOPS

Police said they suspect that the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) rebels were responsible for the incident.

Heavily armed rebels stormed into a government office in Manu in the remote district of Dhalai, some 180 km from the state capital Agartala, and abducted 16 government employees.

They were taken to an unknown destination in a forest.

Opposition parties in Tripura have called for a 12-hour general strike in the state tomorrow to protest against the incident.

The National Liberation Front is one of many separatist groups fighting for a separate tribal homeland in northeastern India.

[09] ISRAEL BOMB

Security sources said that if the suspicions prove correct, it would be the first time Arab citizens of Israel have been so directly involved in an apparent car-bombing attempt.

Prime Minister Ehud Barak, vowing his government would smash terrorism whether it came from inside or outside Israel, made a point of telling Israel Radio's Arabic service the country's Arabs had proven themselves to be loyal citizens.

[10] LOGOS MEGA

The agreement was signed this morning and already MEGA personnel are at Logos for the handing over of the station.

The archbishopric's legal adviser, Aris Hatzipanagiotou confirmed the report.

Meanwhile, the Holy Synod is meeting today, chaired by Archbishop Chrysostomos.

[11] ATHINIS ARREST

Petros Georgiou Koupepas, from Dimes, will appear before Limassol district court today for a remand order to be issued against him.

[12] WEATHER

Winds will be westerly to south-westerly moderate, four beaufort, turning to five beaufort on the south coast. The sea will be moderate.

Tonight, the weather will be clear. Winds will turn to north-westerly three beaufort and the sea slight to westerly moderate.

Temperatures will fall to 21 C inland and on the west coast, 23 on the south and 15 C over the mountains.

The fire hazard remains extremely high in all forest areas.

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