Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 00-09-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] TALKS

[02] ATHENS

[03] HASIKOS

[04] MIGRANTS

[05] CULTS

[06] CHURCH

[07] HOUSE

[08] YUGOSLAVIA

[09] OIL

[10] OLYMPICS

[11] WEATHER MONDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2000

[01] TALKS

The President of the Republic met with the UN Secretary General's special adviser who later held talks with Rauf Denktash.

The Greek Cypriot side, in a unanimous National Council decision, turned down Mr. De Soto's document on the constitutional aspect of the Cyprus issue, because it falls outside both UN resolutions and the High Level Agreements for a bizonal and bicommunal federation.

President Clerides and Foreign Minister Ioannis Kassoulides today met with Britain's Cyprus envoy Sir David Hannay.

The Russian Foreign Ministry meanwhile, expressed Moscow's support for the continuation of efforts aiming at a lasting and just solution in Cyprus based on both Security Council resolutions and the High Level Agreements.

[02] ATHENS

Mr. Papandreou extended the invitations in a telephone conversation with Cypriot political leaders and Mr. Cassoulides.

He will brief them on his contacts in New York with US and European officials.

The aim of the inviation is to clear the air if there is or not a clash between Athens and Nicosia over the handling of the Cyprus issue.

Diplomatic sources in Athens told CyBC's correspondent in the Greek capital that the Cyprus issue remains tops on the Greek government's list of priorities which aim at a solution based on UN Security Council resolutions.

[03] HASIKOS

Mr. Hasikos repeated that under no circumstance will the National Guard's radar be moved from its new location.

He said the meeting between National Guard and British Bases technicians aims at resolving any problems which the British may be encountering with their own radar installations on Mount Olympus.

Regarding the recent war of words between himself and former defence Minister Yiannakis Omirou, Mr. Hasikos said he's under the impression the issue has blown over after Mr. Omirou accepted his invitation to meet and talk things out.

Mr. Omirou, said that strict confidentiality must hold over defence matters and that it was wrong for the issue to be discussed publicly - something he said was not his doing.

Mr. Omirou said that when he took over the Defence Ministry portfolio, the National Guard's radar was not working and that he undertook to install French antenna in order to make it fully functional.

He added that despite overwhelming pressure from the British, the radar's current location was chosen and prepared so that its capabilities could be maximized to provide optimal coverage.

[04] MIGRANTS

The issue was discussed in a noon conference by the Ministers of the Interior and Justice, as well as the Foreign Ministry's Director General.

According to Mr. Christodoulou, police have collected more evidence indicating that the trawler which ferried the migrants to Cyprus sailed from a Lebanese port.

He added that the Foreign Ministry's Director General briefed Lebanon's Ambassador to Cyprus on the new evidence.

Asked whether he would travel to Lebanon, Mr. Christodoulou said this will depend on the country's reply.

Speaking earlier, Justice Minister Nicos Koshis said that if Lebanon doesn't adhere to the bilateral agreement signed between the two countries regarding the return of illegal migrants back to their port of origin, they will disembark the ship and be transferred to another location inland where deportation procedures will begin.

Mr. Koshis said the state is spending thousands of pounds on the illegal migrant's food and medical care.

[05] CULTS

A five-day educational seminar on destructive cults, the problems they create and ways of dealing with them began today.

In his opening address, Justice Minister Nicos Koshis stressed the need for a common approach to countering the cults' insidious effects on Cypriot society.

President of the Pancyprian Parents Union, Archimandrite Christoforos Tsiakkas referred to the results of a study which show that a significant proportion of students have gotten involved with cults and stressed the need for preventative measures.

Salamina Bishop Barnabas and a representative of Greek Archbishop Christodoulos also addressed the seminar.

[06] CHURCH

The Holy Synod will also hear Friday Archimandrite Argyrides' defence against charges of improper behaviour.

Meanwhile, Holy Synod members again chose to remain silent over the three member investigation committee's work on the charges against Limassol Bishop Athanasios.

Asked to comment on Athanasios' complaints over leaks from within the committee, Larnaca Bishop Chrystostomos said he discusses only issues arising from either his statements or silence and refused to reveal anything about the committee's work.

Salamina Bishop Barnabas was equally reticent.

[07] HOUSE

Speaking during the House Finance Committee, Mr. Papadopoulos added that no one appeared in court over the issue.

The House Committee continued debate on the bill drafted by MP Papayiots Dimitriou which would give companies the right to buy out as much as ten percent of their shares.

Cyprus Stock Exchange General Manager Nondas Metaxas said that dematerialisation is still being delayed due to companies unwillingness or inability to reveal information.

He asked that legislation is ammended whereby CSE management is given the right to impose fines on companies which don't cooperate.

Meanwhile, the general price index dipped slightly in today's CSE session, closing zero point twenty eight percent down at 370.49 points.

Volume reached 18 million pounds.

[08] YUGOSLAVIA

Germany, Britain, the European Union and other international bodies all declared Milosevic had lost in Sunday's vote, which the main opposition candidate, said had delivered him a resounding "peoples'" victory."

But Milosevic's Socialist Party said their leader had 45 percent of the votes counted so far, compared with 40 percent for rival Voislav Kostunicha.

Serbia's main opposition bloc said that, with results from half the polling stations counted, 55 percent of the vote had gone to Kostunica with 34 percent for Milosevic.

Milosevic's supporters had earlier said his electoral victory was assured, but Yugoslavs expressed hope that change was in the air after 13 years of his ironfisted rule.

[09] OIL

London Brent futures dipped $1.05 to $30.20 a barrel.

That came on top of a $1.48 decline on Friday in anticipation of the release which will add a million barrels a day to U.S. supplies for a month.

U.S. light crude fell $1.38 to $31.30.

US Energy Secretary Bill Richardson announced Friday the release of 30 million barrels of crude from the 571 million-barrel Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

This is the first use of the SPR since Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

Dealers said the size of the release came as a surprise and the price decline could accelerate in coming weeks.

The Clinton administration said the crude was needed to avoid a winter shortage of heating oil stockpiles, now near 24-year lows.

[10] OLYMPICS

American sprinter Michael Johnson defended his gold medal in the 400 metres in a time of 43.84.

Cheered by one hundred thousand of her compatriots, 27-year-old Cathy Freeman proved predictions right by crossing the finishing line first in the 400 metres in a time of 49.11.

Twenty-four-year-old Cuban Athlete Anier Garcia provided the surprise of the day by taking gold in the 110 metres hurdles in 13 seconds.

The Greek contingent got some good news from its women's discus squad, with three athletes moving into the finals.

However, Atlanta Olympics gold medalist Ioannis Melissanides didn't fare all that well, finishing seventh in the vault with 9.262 points.

[11] WEATHER

The temperature will drop to 19 degrees inland and the western coast, 21 on the southern and eastern coasts and 17 in the highest mountains.

Gradually increasing clouds tomorrow are expected to produce some isolated showers.

Morning winds will be westerly to southwesterly moderate, 4 beaufort, turning in the afternoon fresh, 5 to 6 beaufort with moderate seas.

The temperature will reach 32 degrees inland, 30 on the southern and eastern coasts, 28 on the western coast and 23 in the highest mountains.

Today's maximum and minimum temperatures were:

Nicosia 33 and 21 Limassol 31 and 22 Larnaca 30 and 21 Paphos 29 and 19 Prodromos 26 and 19.

The fire hazard is extremely high in all forest areas.

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