Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 01-03-01

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

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] Seattle Quake

[03] Salvador Quake

[04] COOK CYPRUS

[05] Powell Cyprus

[06] Russia Protocol

[07] CSE UP

[08] Immigrants

[09] Murder follow

[10] Kiosk Arrest

[11] G8 Environment

[12] Indo Violence

[13] Tailer

[14] WEATHER THURSDAY 1 MARCH 2001

[01] HEADLINES

One woman died, 163 others were injured,

The Cyprus issue and to a lesser extent, the course of greco-turkish relations, were discussed at separate meetings in Brussels between US foreign minister Colin Powell and his counterparts of Greece and Turkey, Giorgos Papandreou and Ismail Cem,

Cyprus and Russia have signed an intergovernmental co-operation protocol AND

Japan's first female governor said she wants to wrestle her way into the male-dominated sumo ring to present the trophies.

[02] Seattle Quake

But miraculously, hours after the quake, considered strong enough to cause major damage and injuries, there was only one report of a fatality, although scores of people were injured.

A 66-year-old woman from a Seattle suburb near the airport, died of a heart attack following the quake, marking the first confirmed fatality after the tremor.

163 people were reported injured.

It was the region's first big quake since a 6.5 tremor rocked the area on April 29, 1965. A 7.1-magnitude quake in 1949 killed eight people.

The quake struck the famous and the unknown alike. It halted a speech by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and cracked the dome of the state Capitol in Olympia.

It trapped people at the top of Seattle's landmark World's Fair Space Needle, triggered landslides that plugged the river that delivers the city's water and led to the temporary closure of the Seattle-Tacoma airport.

The tremor was also felt in nearby cities such as Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada, Portland, Oregon, and as far away as Salt Lake City Yutah, 700 miles away.

Washington state Gov. Gary Locke declared a state of emergency, estimating the damage to roads and buildings in the billions of dollars.

[03] Salvador Quake

Mild damage but no injuries were reported.

The 5.4-magnitude quake was centered along the Pacific

coast about 100 miles southeast of the capital.

It lasted about 40 seconds throughout the country and as far away as

Nicaragua.

The quake caused landslides along main highways in central and western El Salvador.

Two powerful earthquakes, on January 13 and February 13, killed more than a thousand people and injured another 8,000.

[04] COOK CYPRUS

Speaking after a meeting with deputy labour minister Joan Ryan and North London Labour MPs, Robin Cook made clear that his country will do its utmost to secure the continuation of proximity talks on Cyprus.

He also congratulated the Cyprus government on the progress made in entry negotiations.

The british foreign minister said that Britain is doing everything possible to secure the release of Panikos Tsiakkourmas, abducted by turkish occupation forces on the 13th of December.

[05] Powell Cyprus

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that the meetings were useful and constructive.

Regarding greco-turkish relations, Boucher said that Colin Powell reiterated to both sides, Washington's firm position favouring a policy of rapprochement, without going into details on the course of the two countries' relationship.

The state department spokesman disclosed that Colin Powell will hold official talks with Ismail Cem in Washington, at the end of the month, while according to diplomatic sources, he will meet Giorgos Papandreou some time in April.

[06] Russia Protocol

The document was signed by finance minister Takis Clerides and Russian Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Uliakaev, on an official visit to Cyprus.

It involves co-operation in the commerce sector, investments, construction, tourism and transport.

It also maps out prospects for cooperation in new sectors such as services, as well as the design and promotion of high technology products.

In statements after the signing ceremony, Takis Clerides stressed that this agreement in the financial sector, is a reflection of the close historical ties between the two countries and the mutual support in the political sector.

In reply, the Russian official referred to the great prospects of further cooperation between the two countries as well as Russian support to the Cyprus government regarding efforts to solve the Cyprus issue.

[07] CSE UP

The All Shares Price Index closed at 197 point 57 units, a rise of one point fifteen percent.

The volume of trading reached a mere eight million six hundred thousand pounds.

[08] Immigrants

Another three Iraqis spotted on Cyprus republic territory, were arrested by the Oroklini police.

Preliminary findings show that the Iraqis entered the republic, through the occupied territories.

The Dhekelia court ordered that the 26 immigrants remain in custody at the St George Hospice in Dhekelia, pending a police investigation.

According to CyBC sources, the immigrants sailed from a Syrian port on the 27th February, having left from Iraq nine days earlier.

[09] Murder follow

The killer or killers and the cause of the crime have yet to be determined.

Several individuals have been called in for questioning, but no evidence justifying an arrest has been found.

An autopsy on Marina's body was performed earlier today.

[10] Kiosk Arrest

A Russian of Greek descent was arrested at dawn, and will appear before court later today.

Meanwhile, a Limassol court renewed an eight-day remand of three Russians of Greek descent, arrested in connection with the same case.

According to CyBC sources, the four suspects refuse to co-operate with the police, whos' intensifying efforts to find a G-3 military rifle, used in the attempted robbery.

[11] G8 Environment

The two-day G8 meeting will be the first time the chief decision-makers on the environment have gathered since the collapse of talks in The Hague in November, after a high-profile spat between the United States and the European Union.

The major issue on the agenda, as at The Hague, will be climate change, with recent scientific research showing that temperatures have risen sharply in the past decade which could result in more flooding, rising sea levels and more disease.

A U.N. scientific body has said global temperatures are likely to rise 1.4-5.8 degrees Celsius over the next 100 years and sea levels could rise by as much as 88 centimetres.

[12] Indo Violence

waiting to flee a deadly rampage by Dayaks whose campaign to drive them from

parts of Borneo has been largely successful.

After 11 days of violence at least 469 people have been killed.

In Sampit, where many of the killings occurred, constant rain added to the misery of the estimated 25 thousand refugees.

Tens of thousands of Madurese people are being moved to other parts of the country. Borneo is one of many trouble spots across Indonesia.

Some fear that impunity for the Dayaks could encourage violent groups in othe areas where there has been separatist, religious or sectarian unrest in the past.

[13] Tailer

Fusae Ota, elected governor of the western city of Osaka last year, has called on the Japan Sumo Association to allow her to present the trophy to the winner of the Osaka Tournament in March.

The tournament will include all of Japan's sumo wrestlers.

Tradition bans women from entering a sumo ring on the grounds that it is sacred and their presence, considered unclean, would pollute it. But, it is also customary that prizes are presented by the governor of the prefecture where a tournament is held.

[14] WEATHER

Winds will be moderate to strong, southeasterly, four to six beaufort, over moderate to rough seas in some areas.

Tonight it will be mainly clear.

Winds will be moderate, westerly, four beaufort, over moderate seas.

Temperatures will fall 11 degrees inland, 13 on the coast and 7 on the mountains.

The depth of snow on mount olympus is 30 centimetres and 10 in troodos square.

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