Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 99-10-20

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

CONTENTS

WEDNESDAY 20 OCTOBER 1999

[01] HEADLINES

[02] CLERIDES MOSES

[03] MOSES DENKTASH

[04] PAPAPETROU MOSES

[05] TURKEY ISRAEL EXERCISE

[06] RUSSIA CHECHNYA

[07] WORLD IN BRIEF

[08] CYPRUS EU

[09] STOCK EXCHANGE

[10] AIR FARES

[11] WEATHER

[01] HEADLINES

--- Turkey and Israel will carry out a military exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean later this year.

--- Russian President Boris Yeltsin summoned top security officials today, to discuss Moscow's next move in Chechnya.

AND

--- The entire Encyclopaedia Britannica has been placed on the Internet free of charge.

[02] CLERIDES MOSES

Present at the meeting were US Ambassador Donald Bandler, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides, Attorney General Alecos Markides, Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou, and Undersecretary to the President Pantelis Kouros.

After the meeting, Mr. Moses described talks with President Clerides as good.

Asked if he is optimistic after his talks with the two sides on the island, Mr. Moses said that if he was not, he would not have undertaken this mission.

[03] MOSES DENKTASH

He described the meeting as productive, adding that he understands much of what he heard from Mr. Denktash.

Mr. Moses pointed out that he is on the island to help efforts to bring both communities closer, and not to suggest a solution or tell either side what to do.

Mr. Denktash said that he expects more meetings to follow, so that he would be able to see where things are heading.

[04] PAPAPETROU MOSES

Mr. Papapetrou reiterated the position of the Government that it is waiting for the UN chief to invited the sides to talks, adding that optimism would be justified if the other side would show some sign of willingness to cooperate towards finding a solution.

He also urged UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and the Security Council to intervene in all directions, so that talks could start.

[05] TURKEY ISRAEL EXERCISE

Turkish newspapers reported today that the maneuvres will take place in the context of the military training and cooperation agreement between the two countries.

The United States and Jordan will participate in the exercise as observers. Egypt has refused to take part.

The first such exercise took place early last year.

[06] RUSSIA CHECHNYA

The meeting took place as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, riding a wave of popular support for the military campaign in Chechnya, flew to the troubled North Caucasus region to discuss a refugee crisis and decorate war heroes.

Russian troops have seized one-third of Chechnya and are waiting for a decision on whether they should merely consolidate their positions and prepare for winter or continue to advance deeper into the region.

Russia has more or less painlessly seized northern Chechnya in the campaign formally aimed at defeating Islamic militants, who infiltrated a neighbouring southern Russian region last month and whom Moscow holds responsible for terrorist acts.

The Chechens deny any involvement in recent bombings in Russia which killed nearly 300 people, and they say Moscow's military onslaught has been launched to end the region's self-proclaimed independence.

[07] WORLD IN BRIEF

- - - -

Ailing Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid became Indonesia's first elected president, beating the people's favourite Megawati Sukarnoputri in a vote by the country's supreme legislature.

Wahid said after his election that he and Megawati, who had appeared early in the campaign to be a near certainty to win the presidency, would go out onto the streets to head off unrest.

- - - -

More than 200 people are missing after an Indonesian passenger ship sank off the remote province of Irian Jaya.

- - - -

Chinese President Jiang Zemin mixes business with pleasure by going sightseeing in London and speaking to British executives about trade with his giant communist Asian nation.

- - - -

International crime busters held a final day of talks in Moscow after what they called a pleasantly surprising pledge from Russia's premier to fight money laundering from his scandal-plagued country.

- - - -

The United Nations special envoy for Afghanistan said he was quitting his mission after two years of unproductive efforts to end the Afghan conflict.

- - - -

The presidential election to end military rule in Niger will go to a runoff ballot on November 24 because none of the seven candidates scored a clear majority, according to final provisional results.

- - - -

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has decided to hold early presidential elections.

- - - -

The Washington Post reported that the United States secretly deployed thousands of nuclear weapons in 15 foreign countries at the height of the Cold War.

[08] CYPRUS EU

Speaking after a meeting with his Greek counterpart, Giorgos Papandreou, Mr. Matutes said that the status quo is a difficulty, which in no case should be an obstacle to EU accession.

Mr. Papandreou said that the European Union must reassure that it wishes Cyprus as a whole to become a member of the bloc.

He also said that he expects talks on the Cyprus problem to commence within the next few weeks, before the EU Helsinki Summit.

[09] STOCK EXCHANGE

The general price index rose by 12 units, reaching 596,60, compared with 584 yesterday.

All titles today increased in value.

[10] AIR FARES

The new fares mean that the Larnaca-London night flight return ticket will cost 148 pounds, and there will be no limitations.

A Cyprus Airways announcement states that there will be different prices for families, senior citizens and trips during specific periods.

[11] WEATHER

Winds will be northwesterly to northeasterly, light, two to three beaufort, and the sea will be slight.

The temperature will drop to 17 degrees inland and on the south and east coasts, to 16 on the west coast, and to 11 over the mountains.

The fire hazard is extremely high in all forest areas.

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