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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 99-09-28Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>CONTENTS
TUESDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 1999 [01] ECEVIT CLINTONTomorrow's White House meeting between US President Bill Clinton and Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is considered the key to the holding of direct talks on the Cyprus Issue.Prime Minister Ecevit has already left Ankara for Washington, and in statements prior to his departure, said that he does not expect any pressure on the Cyprus Issue by the US government. As reported by our New York correspondent however, US officials will seek to make full use of the recent warming-up of relations between Greece and Turkey in order to achieve progress in the island's long-standing problem. Meanwhile, it was further reported that Turkey's Prime Minister is expected to seek compensation for the loss of revenue incurred by his country following the UN-sanctions on Iraqi oil exports, a figure he says amounts to 30-35 billion dollars. Prime Minister Ecevit has also scheduled meetings with World Bank President James Wolfenson and International Monetary Fund Director Michel Camdessus. [02] UN INVIT'NSUN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to reach a decision on whether or not to call talks on the Cyprus Issue immediately after today's meeting between US President Bill Clinton and Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit.According to the Cyprus News Agency, UN officials are reserved as to the realisation of talks between the two sides directly involved in the Cyprus Issue, but if talks are held, these will take place at the West Point Military Academy in New York's Orange County. Meanwhile, President of the Republic Glafkos Clerides will today host an official luncheon for the representatives of the UN Security Council's five permanent member-states. The luncheon is to be the last substantial contact with foreign delegates held by Cyprus' President and Foreign Minister prior to their departure from New York. [03] GROSSMAN ALLUS Undersecretary of State for European and Turkish issues Mark Grossman, last night stated that during today's meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, President Bill Clinton intends to promote the G8 initiative for the commencement of direct and unconditional talks on the Cyprus Issue this autumn. Undersecretary Grossman further noted that the current circumstances are the best in a long time, and stressed the need for progress to be achieved in efforts towards Cyprus settlement.The two-hour Clinton-Ecevit meeting is expected to focus, apart from the Cyprus Issue, on prospects of improving greco-turkish relations and on Turkey's attempts to secure compensation in lieu of financial losses it suffered following the UN sanctions on Iraq. Turkey is claiming some 30-35 billion dollars as compensation, but Undersecretary Grosmman let it be inferred that the US has already done a great deal to help the country deal with its financial losses. [04] ECEVITTurkey's Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, speaking just before leaving Ankara for the United States yesterday, reiterated that his country is not about to be pressured over the Cyprus Issue, and added that Turkey will in no way accept, as a condition to her accession to the European Union, a prior resolution of the problem.Turkish newspapers meanwhile are commenting on Prime Minister Ecevit's behaviour, noting that lately he appears to be forgetting significant things and that he asks the same questions time after time. The reports also cite specific examples. [05] CLINTON TOURThe White House last night announced the itinerary to be followed by US President Bill Clinton on his planned European tour this November.Drawn up around Constantinople's summit meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe on November 18-19, the US President's tour will first take him to Bulgaria, where he will discuss efforts to promote reconstruction in southeastern Europe. He will also make a state visit to Turkey, meeting with Turkish leaders in Ankara. Following the Constantinople summit, President Clinton will head for Florence, Italy, where he will attend a conference on "Progressive Governance for the 21st Century", on November 20-21, after which he will realise a state visit to Greece. [06] CSEThe Cyprus Stock Exchange Board decided, during a marathon meeting last night, to levy brokerage firms with a fixed 30 pound fine for each late document and another 30 pounds per document per day for late documents, retroactive as of September 20th.Making the statement, Board Chairman Dinos Papadopoulos also said that the brokerage firms which will be permitted to resume operations with the October 4th re-opening of the Stock Exchange will be announced right after the next meeting, scheduled for Thursday. Reacting to the decision, the Cyprus Brokers' Association announced that it plans to seek recourse with the island's Supreme Court, describing the imposition of fines as a purely punitive act which would not really solve the problem of backlogged transactions. [07] RUSS CHECHRussian warplanes bombed the breakaway region of Chechnya for the sixth consecutive day this morning, prompting many thousands of civilians to pack their bags and flee to neighbouring North Caucasus provinces.A Russian Defence Ministry spokesman said by telephone that the strikes targeted "precise sites", which Moscow believes are being used by Islamic rebels it blames for incursions and disastrous bomb blasts. Chechnya denies harbouring militants. Interfax news agency said oil and energy installations in the region, which has been out of Russia's control since an ill-fated 1994-96 war, were on fire. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo met President Boris Yeltsin to report on an anti-terrorist campaign ordered after three major Russian cities and others were rocked by bomb attacks which killed almost 300 people. 521 tonnes of explosives have been uncovered to date, and 101 people have been arrested. [08] TURKEY PRISONSTurkey's prisons siege entered its third day today, with armed leftist inmates holding dozens of guards hostage in jails across the country in protest at the killing of 11 of their comrades.The stand-off follows months of simmering unrest in Turkey's jails over the state's efforts to bring the overcrowded institutions fully under its control and shift prisoners into smaller cells from the present large dormitories. According to the country's Justice Ministry, prisoners are holding 72 guards hostage in seven jails and have barricaded themselves in at a dozen other prisons. Negotiators spoke with the prisoners last night and said they were hopeful for an end to the protests before daylight, but no further news was available. [09] TIMOREast Timorese refugees have begun to resettle the ruined capital Dili for the first time since it was engulfed by bloodshed and destruction. Dili residents have been sporadically returning to the capital in recent days, but only to scrounge for food or water, not to settle. Many felt they were better off living in the hills than among city's ruins.International forces sent in to restore peace to East Timor assured refugees crowded around the dusty village of Dare that security had improved in the nearby capital. Commenting on the returns, the commander of the British UN-contigent, Brigadier David Richards, told Reuters that since the Indonesian army had pulled back, he felt it was safe to bring refugees into the capital. Some 35,000 refugees had congregated around Dare to escape a wave of terror carried out by pro-Jakarta militias in Dili after the territory voted overwhelmingly to break from Indonesian rule on August 30th. [10] FRENAROS BOMBA makeshift high-powered explosive device was discovered this morning outside the Frenaros village confectionery "Liotatis".The device was discovered by an employee, who proceeded to notify the police. On arriving at the scene, bomb squad experts ascertained that the half-pound TNT bomb was supposed to have gone off, but that the fuse had misfired. Investigations are continuing while the owner of the confectionery, currently abroad, has been notified. [11] FOOTBALLCyBC's First Television Channel will link up with Athens' Olympic Stadium at 9:45 tonight for a live transmission of the European Football Champions' League match between the Greek team of Olympiakos Pireos and Norway's Molde.Videotaped highlights from the other seven games in today's fixtures will be broadcast after the end of the match. That's at 9:45 tonight, on CyBC's First Television Channel. [12] WEATHERThe weather will be generally fair this afternoon, with temperatures slightly higher than the seasonal average, reaching 35C inland, 32C in the south and east, 30C in the west and 25C at higher altitudes. Winds will be southeasterly to southwesterly moderate, 3-4BF, on generally slight seas, rising to moderate off the east coast.Tonight the weather will continue fair, while winds will abate to light northeasterlies, 2-3BF, on slight seas. Temperatures are expected to drop to 19C inland and in the west, 21C in the south and east, and 16C on the higher reaches of the Troodos mountains. The fire hazard remains extremely high in all forest areas. Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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