Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 01-08-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] robbery

[03] bomb

[04] christofias

[05] denktash

[06] belgian

[07] niotis

[08] hasikos

[09] cassoulides

[10] mideast

[11] weather TUESDAY 28 AUGUST 2001

[01] HEADLINES

House President Demetris Christofias is pessimistic about renewed Cyprus talks,

Rauf Denktash meets with UN chief Koffi Annan this afternoon,

Belgium's Finance Minister is pleased with progress in the island's harmonisation efforts,

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Gregoris Niotis said Athens and Nicosia see eye to eye on the Cyprus issue,

AND Foreign Minister Ioannis Cassoulides is off to Moscow for an important round of contacts in the Russian capital.

[02] robbery

The culprit made off with five thousand pounds.

Police have already interrogated several people, but are focusing their attention on a younger man with a medium build and average height.

The suspect who wears a beard was located at his home and was taken at Limassol police headquarters for questioning.

Investigators meanwhile are trying to track down the stolen money and the gun used in the robbery.

The culprit, who was not wearing a hood, burst through the Co-op's doors and brandishing a gun, ordered employees to put all the money in their tills inside a bag.

The robber then walked out from the rear door.

Eyewitnesses said the culprit was unshaven and spoke broken Greeke.

Area residents said they saw a young man running from house to house not holding anything, but others said he was holding a small bag.

[03] bomb

The bomb was placed underneath Semenis car which was part in the driveway of his home along Demetra road in the Nicosia suburb.

According to police explosives experts, the bomb was place at the rear right tyre, destroying the car completely.

The makeshift device was made with high explosives and was detonated by a slow-burning fuse.

Nicosia CID officer Agamemnon Demetriou did not rule out the possibility that the motive behind the attack could be related to Seimenis' long service in the force.

Seimenis retired from the police six years ago.

He served for many years in the CID and rose to the rank of deputy commander.

[04] christofias

Addressing the 12th World Congress of Overseas Cypriots Nicosia, Christofias said that in its effort to keep the two sides talking, the UN is presenting documents to placate both.

But he stressed that there can be no middle ground between federation and confederation, which is a point of principle that remains undefended by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Christofias added that President Clerides' mistake in his handling of the Cyprus issue is that he does not want to appear tough on the US and Britain because he believe the island needs them.

The House President said that Cyprus lacks a pro-active policy and noted that the National Council is unprepared for any possible pressure tactics which may arise when the time for accession to the EU approaches.

[05] denktash

The UN Secretary General's special adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro De Soto will also attend the meeting. De Soto is expected in Nicosia tomorrow for consultations with President Clerides and Denktash.

Denktash met yesterday with EU enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen at Zurich airport.

The Athens News Agency reported that Verheugen made clear to the Turkish Cypriot leader that he cannot insist on demands to recognise his occupation regime.

[06] belgian

The Belgian official, whose country currently holds the European Union Presidency, was received by President Clerides and later met with Central Bank Governor Afxentis Afxentiou and Finance Minister Takis Klerides.

Afxentiou said that he briefed the Belgian official on the Cyprus economy with added emphasis on the transformation that it is currently undergoing.

Afxentiou said Raiters was pleased by the progress the island has made in the financial and banking sectors regarding harmonisation efforts with EU law.

[07] niotis

Niotis said that the President has conveyed his predictions which he said are being borne out.

The Greek official invited President Clerides to the Global Conference of Overseas Greeks scheduled for the sixth to the twelfth of December.

On efforts to counter Turkish propaganda, Niotis said that a meeting with Foreign Minister Ioannis Cassoulides yesterday aimed at forging a cooperation and coordination network among all overseas Greeks and Cypriots.

[08] hasikos

Replying to questions before his departure, Hasikos said that the Greek Cypriot side has not been pressured into either cancelling or suspending the joint Cyprus-Greece military exercise Nikiforos in light of renewed Cyprus talks scheduled for next month.

Hasikos added that work on the naval base is going ahead at an accelerated pace and will be completed very soon.

[09] cassoulides

Cassoulides will hold discussions on the Cyprus issue and bolstering Cyprus-Russia relations.

Cassoulides will meet tomorrow with his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov for talks on the current state of the Cyprus issue, as well as bilateral relations from an EU perspective.

[10] mideast

A Palestinian security officer was killed and seven people were wounded as Israeli troops surged into Beit Jala, a West Bank town facing the Jewish settlement of Gilo which Israel says is a neighbourhood of Jerusalem.

A Palestinian official condemned the early morning raid - following on the heels of the killing of Abu Ali Mustafa whom Israel accused of masterminding bombings - as a reoccupation of Palestinian areas that could pave the way for a Middle East war.

In the overnight raid into the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, 12 people were wounded and 15 buildings, which the Israelis said provided cover for snipers and arms smugglers, were wrecked before the army pulled out.

The outbreak of shooting came amid Palestinian anger over Monday's killing of Mustafa, chief of a Palestinian radical faction, and a bloody weekend in which 11 people died in fighting that all but ended hopes for truce talks between the sides.

[11] weather

Winds will be generally westerly light to moderate, 3 to 4 beaufort, but southwesterly fresh, 5 beaufort on the southern coast.

Seas will be generally slight but moderate on the southern coast.

Fine conditions will carry through tonight with fog patches in some areas.

Winds will be westerly light to moderate, 3 to 4 beaufort with slight seas.

Temperatures will drop to 21 degrees inland, 22 on the coasts and 18 in the highest mountains.

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