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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 02-01-15Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>CONTENTS
[01] HeadlinesPresident of the Republic Glafkos Clerides held a second meeting with the UN Special Advisor for the Cyprus problem Alvaro De Soto this morning,Direct settlement talks are starting at ten tomorrow morning at the residence of the UN representative in Cyprus Zbignief Vlossovitch at the Nicosia airport area, Police are confident of quickly tracking down those responsible for last nights' abduction and attempted robbery at a Bank of Cyprus branch in Limassol, U.S. warplanes began hunting for new targets after demolishing eastern Afghan hideouts of al Qaeda and Taliban forces and Norwegians have the world's strongest yearning for sex in public places. [02] Clerides AlvaroPresident of the Republic Glafkos Clerides held a second meeting with the UN Special Advisor for the Cyprus problem Alvaro De Soto this morning. During the one hour working lunch they discussed issues of procedures concerning direct settlement talks starting tomorrow morning. Government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said that there will be no other meeting between De Soto and President Clerides prior to the start of the talks. Asked whether there are any differences between the two sides, on procedure, he replied in the negative, adding that they will be discussed further tomorrow. Commenting on Denktash's intransigent statements, which contradict the recent positive climate, the government spokesman said that what's important, is whether the Turkish-cypriot leader will attend the talks, willing to enter substantive negotiations.[03] TalksSettlement talks will be held at the residence of the UN representative in Cyprus Zbignief Vlossovitch at the Nicosia airport area. They will start at ten tomorrow morning. President Clerides will be accompanied by three advisors. That is, Papapetrou himself, the minister to the president Pantelis Kouros and Attorney General Alekos Markides. Cybc's first television channel will be covering the event live, as part of a special current affairs programme.[04] Ecevit BushTurkish prime minister Bulent Ecevit is meeting President Bush tomorrow in Washington and are expected to discuss a series of issues, including the Cyprus problem.Ecevit is in the United States for a four-day official visit. Acccording to sources of the Greek news agency in Athens, the Americans will advise Ecevit to exert pressure on turkish-cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, in order to adopt a more conciliatory policy and accept a compromise solution. The same sources say that the Turkish prime minister will present a special present to President Bush. A copy of the Koran. Ecevit's contacts are starting today. He will meet the director of the International Monetary Fund and the President of the World Bank, aiming to secure a new loan. The turkish prime minister will also meet US defence minister Donald Rumsfeld. Ecevit is expected to request a write off of its military debt, to the tune of five billion dollars.[05] Robbery policePolice are confident of quickly tracking down those responsible for last nights' abduction and attempted robbery at a Bank of Cyprus branch in Limassol. Among others, investigators have retrieved items belonging to the abducted manager of the branch Philippos Avraamides, which the perpetrators had taken with them. The unprecedented action was carried out by two armed hooden men, who waited for Avraamides at around six thirty in the afternoon, outside his home. As soon as Avraamided parked his car, they forced him back in and after putting a hood on him, led him back to the branch. Under the threat of a hunting rifle and a pistol, they asked him to open the branch, so that they could get the money. But when he said, that it was impossible to open the bank with just his own key, they became enraged and led him to an isolated area, after gagging him and putting tape over his eyes. They escaped in a car driven by a third hooded man, taken Avraamides' briefcase, that contained various documents, the bank keys and his mobile phone. Avraamides somehow managed to contact police,that took him to Limassol General Hospital. He suffered no injuries.[06] Attack AfghanU.S. warplanes began hunting for new targets after demolishing eastern Afghan hideouts of al Qaeda and Taliban forces as Japan said it may pledge 500 million dollars for the reconstruction of war-battered Afghanistan over the next two and a half years. The United Nations has said the new interim government could fail if 100 million dollars in aid is not provided within days to pay civil servants and police and help impose law and fight banditry. Thirty more al Qaeda and Taliban captives arrived under heavy guard at a U.S. naval base in Cuba yesterday to join a first group of prisoners who settled into a routine in cage-like cells awaiting interrogation and possible trial. There was no let-up in the hunt for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Taliban chief Mullah Mohammad Omar. On the 100th day of the bombing campaign , U.S. aircraft levelled buildings and blocked entrances to dozens of caves in the Zhawar Kili area to destroy what the U.S. military said was a base for fighters trying to flee to Pakistan. U.S. officials said heavy raids on the Zhawar area were concluding and the military would be looking for other targets and acting to prevent al Qaeda and Taliban forces from regrouping or operating.wants.[07] Mideast wrapAn explosion that killed a Palestinian militant and a revenge attack in which an Israeli soldier was shot dead left a month-old ceasefire in tatters. Despite the new spasm of violence, the U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Colin Powell had not decided when to send envoy Anthony Zinni back to the region to resume mediation between Israelis and Palestinians. Zinni went home on January 6th. The Middle East slipped deeper into conflict after a leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, was killed yesterday by a bomb which Palestinian and Israeli security sources said Israel planted. Hours after Raed Al Karmi, blamed by Israel for the deaths of at least nine Israelis, was blown up in the West Bank city of Tulkarm, gunmen killed an Israeli soldier and wounded an officer near a Jewish settlement. The Brigades, an unofficial armed group in Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction, said it had avenged Karmi's killing.[08] Quake indonesiaAn earthquake measuring around 6.4 on the Richter scale today shook Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Tuesday, prompting office workers across the city to flee their swaying buildings. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the capital or in West Java towns nearer the epicentre. The quake was felt for about a minute in Jakarta. Earthquakes regularly hit Indonesia, occasionally causing widespread damage, although they are rarely felt so strongly in Jakarta. In 2000, a powerful quake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale hit Sumatra's Bengkulu province, killing more than 100 people.[09] Sex tailerNorwegians have the world's strongest yearning for sex in public places. According to a survey in Germany by a publisher of romance novels of 6,600 people from 20 countries found Norwegians were more likely to have sex in public places than any other nationality. Sixty six percent said they had had such sexual encounters. The places where the sex took place included cars, trains, airplanes, beaches, parks, changing rooms, offices and libraries. Australians came in second with 64 percent, Greeks were third at 60 percent, Sweden and Argentina were tied for fourth at 55 percent while Germany was fifth with 47 percent. The survey by the Cora publishing house questioned about 400 people in each country, At the bottom of the list was France. Only 13 percent of the French surveyed said they had had sex in public places, even fewer than the 15 percent of Canadians and 21 percent of Americans.[10] Weather lunchtimeRain is expected this afternoon, mainly on the mountains. Winds will be moderate northeasterly to southeasterly, three to four beaufort, over slight to moderate seas. Tonight it will be cloudy. Frost is expected to form in some areas, particularly at dawn. Temperatures will fall to 5 degrees inland, 8 on the coast and one below zero on the mountains. The depth of snow on mount Olympus is one meter, with 70 centimetres in Troodos square.Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |