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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 02-01-09
From: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>
CONTENTS
[01] Headlines
[02] Cyprus weather
[03] Casoulides
[04] Markides Europe
[05] Michos Cyprus
[06] Limassol bomb
[07] Mideast Wrap
[08] Australia fires
[09] Pakistan India
[10] Afghan wrap
[11] Cse today
[12] Tailer
[13] Weather
WEDNESDAY 9 JANUARY 2002
[01] Headlines
Temperatures today plunged and snow fell heavily on Cyprus as an
unusually cold snap gripped the island,
Foreign minister Ioannis Casoulides stressed that negotiations with the
European Union are being held with internationally recognised
governments,
A security guard in Limassol averted a dawn bomb attack on a cafeteria
at the Makarios avenue,
Two Palestinian gunmen and three Israeli soldiers were killed today in
an attack on an Israeli military post in southern Israel
and
Anne Robinson is the weakest link. The British host of the TV game show
is dubbed the Worst Dressed Woman of 2001.
[02] Cyprus weather
Temperatures today plunged and snow fell heavily on Cyprus as an
unusually cold snap gripped the island. Temperatures fell by nine
degrees to six degrees Celsius inland and minus five on the highest
peaks, where snow piled up and kept more than 58 schools closed, some
for a third day running. Snow also fell in hills above Nicosia,
Limassol, the southern district of Larnaca and the western resort of
Paphos, while conditions were expected to deteriorate further during
the course of the day before easing tomorrow. Snow also fell on the
occupied Pentadaktylos mountain range, for the first time in many
years. In Paphos, the cold spell, accompanied by torrential rains
caused small-scale power cuts in many villages, which were quickly
dealt with. Schools remain closed in many areas. The island is being
affected by a northerly cold air mass. Cyprus normally experiences
cold dry winters and sizzling summers where temperatures sometimes
soar to 43C. It desalinates water from the sea to counter severe
droughts. The depth of snow on Mount Olympus is 70 centimetres with 50
in Troodos square.
[03] Casoulides
Foreign minister Ioannis Casoulides stressed that negotiations with the
European Union are being held with internationally recognised
governments, and not de facto situations that were brought about by
occupation. In statements to our station, Casoulides stressed that in
the case of Cyprus, negotiations are being held with the government of
the Cyprus republic and there was never an issue of merely the free
areas joining the Union.
[04] Markides Europe
Attorney General Alekos Markides said that there was never an issue of
just the free areas of the republic joining the European Union. In
statements to our station, Markides said that on going accession
negotiations are between the European Union and the internationally
recognised state of the Cyprus republic. When Cyprus joins, he added,
it will be as a unified state. The Attorney General noted that there
was merely advice to examine various problems that might come up, in
case of EU accession without a solution of the Cyprus problem. One of
these problems, he said, is the implementation of the acqui
communitaire in the Turkish occupied areas. Alekos Markides noted that
his office has already prepared suggestions and ways to deal with these
problems, so that there won't be any possibility to impinge on Cyprus
republic sovereignty.
[05] Michos Cyprus
Government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou stated that the government is
not aware or has been made party to any plan for the solution of the
Cyprus problem. He refuted reports that Washington has drawn up
solution plans, saying they were absolutely unfounded. Papapetrou
further clarified that he doesn't know of any group of diplomats,
mentioned in a Turkish newspaper, that have drawn up a solution plan.
[06] Limassol bomb
A security guard in Limassol averted a dawn bomb attack on a cafeteria
at the Makarios avenue. According to police reports, at around three
in the morning, Dimitris Lekkas, spotted a man placing a plastic bag
outside the cafeteria. Lekkas chased the suspect, who fled. When he
returned, he found a suspicious object in the bag and immediately
notified police. They discovered it was a high-powered improvised bomb.
The Limassol police superintendent Charalambos Koulentis said that
police investigations have taken on a specific turn, following
particular leads.
[07] Mideast Wrap
Four Israeli soldiers were killed today in an attack on an Israeli
military post in southern Israel which broke a lull in violence which
had raised hopes of staunching 15 months of bloodshed. The Israeli
army said troops shot dead two gunmen after they cut through a fence
at the military post at Kerem Shalom in Israel's southern corner near
the borders with the Gaza Strip and Egypt and fired with rifles and
grenades. The latest violence broke a three-week period of relative
calm in a 15-month Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in
the Gaza Strip and West Bank. An army spokesman called the attack an
"extremely grave" incident. European Union and U.S. officials who
held talks in the region this week had said the lull in violence
provided a glimmer of hope of a breakthrough.
[08] Australia fires
Three huge helicopters dumped water on a large fire threatening
holiday homes south of Sydney, one of the last of a series of major
blazes which have burned since Christmas. The fire was burning on a
28 miles front in parkland near the towns of Lake Conjola and
Fisherman's Paradise about 124 miles south of Sydney on Australia's
east coast. To the north of Sydney, a new fire threatened properties.
Officials were hopeful the Sky Crane helicopters, which each dump nine
and a half thousand litres of water a time, would halt progress
towards houses. One of the helicopters, nicknamed "Elvis" after its
use by the U.S. National Guard in Memphis, has been dumping huge
quantities of water on fires since just after Christmas Day. The other
two, nicknamed the "Incredible Hulk" and "Georgia Peach", arrived in
Sydney on Monday packed in pieces in a huge freighter plane from the
United States.
[09] Pakistan India
The United States, anxious to defuse a military standoff between India
and Pakistan, will urge a visiting Indian minister to match peace
gestures from Pakistan as the two sides trade fire in tense Kashmir.
Pakistan said a policeman was wounded overnight in the latest round of
shooting between the two sides in the Himalayan region, at the centre
of the dangerous faceoff between the nuclear foes. Several civilians
and security personnel have been killed in daily firefights across the
ceasefire line dividing the two armies and across their border as
world leaders struggle to avert a fourth war between the hostile
neighbours. The United States, which has played a key role in urging
both countries to talk peace, said it would ask visiting Indian
Interior Minister Lal Krishna Advani to show patience as Pakistan
President Pervez Musharraf takes politically difficult steps against
anti-Indian Islamic militants.
[10] Afghan wrap
More al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners are filling U.S. detention camps
in Afghanistan, but there was no sign of the world's two most wanted
men and U.S. jets prowled the skies to bomb possible hideouts.
Confusion hovered over the fate of three ministers from the vanquished
Taliban militia reported to have surrendered and then allowed to go
free, but only under surveillance. A spokesman for the Kandahar
governor said the former ministers of defence, justice and mines and
industry had surrendered to authorities there and had then been
released. But they would not be able to move freely "for their own
security." Only the one-eyed Mullah Omar would not be eligible for an
amnesty. Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said the reclusive
cleric who founded the Taliban and bin Laden, were likely to be still
in Afghanistan, but the trail had gone cold.
[11] Cse today
Stability was the order of the day at the Cyprus Stock Exchange. The
All Shares price index closed at 132 point 47, a rise of zero point two
percent. Volume of trading reached one point six million pounds.
"Anne Robinson. You are fashion's Weakest Link!" So said Mr Blackwell,
who conferred the dubious title of Worst Dressed Woman of 2001 on the
neogothic garbed British host of the TV game show "Weakest Link".
Placing her at the top of his annual list of the world's worst dressed
women, the California fashion gadfly noted Robinson, who frightens her
contestants with snappy insults, wore frumpy clothing offstage and
looked somewhat like "Harry Potter in Drag...a Hogwarts horror!" Pop
star Britney Spears, 19, -- "rehashed Madonna...on a really bad day"
-- slipped one notch from her No. one spot on last year's list.
Actress Juliette Binoche, 37, who won an Oscar nomination last year
for her role in Chocolat, came third. Others singled out included pop
music trio Destiny's Child, Icelandic singer-actress Bjork and Prince
Charles's lady love Camilla Parker Bowles, whom Blackwell says "packs
the stylistic punch of a dilapidated Yorkshire pudding".
Rain, thunderstorms and snow on the mountains and some plains, are
expected this afternoon. Winds will be strong northeasterly, over
moderate to rough seas in windward areas. Temperatures are expected to
reach six degrees inland and nine on the coast. Rain and thunderstorms
will persist this evening. Snowfalls will continue on the mountains and
the plains, with frost forming in most areas. Winds willl be strong to
very strong northeasterly, five to six beaufort, to seven beaufort in
some areas, over moderate to rough seas. Temperatures will fall to two
degrees inland, three on the coast and four below zero on the
mountains. The depth of snow on Mount Olympus is 70 centimetres, with
50 in Troodos square.
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