Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 02-08-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] spokes overcyps

[03] denk ankara

[04] Petrol

[05] Turkey Ecevit

[06] mideast

[07] britain-zimbabwe

[08] us-ger creds

[09] tailer

[10] weather THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2002

[01] HEADLINES

The Turkish-Cypriot leader holds consultations in Ankara amid criticism from the occupied areas;

Four Euro-information centres are to be set up in the free areas of the Republic;

Israeli forces shoot and kill a mother and her two sons, as well as a fourth person, during an early morning Gaza Strip raid;

Britain is reported to be preparing for an evacuation of its nationals from Zimbabwe;

The new US and German Ambassadors to Cyprus are received at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia;

and...

Skit, hop, jump and fly.... all for an Elton John concert!

[02] spokes overcyps

Speaking at the Conference of Overseas Cypriots being held in Nicosia, Mr Papapetrou added that what still remains uncertain is the time of submission of such proposals. At the same time he voiced the assessement that this will not take place prior to Turkey's November 3rd elections.

The Government Spokesman further said that the Greek-Cypriot side's policy is both based and focused on the EU Helsinki summit decisions, which succeeded in disassociating a solution of the Cyprus Issue from the island's accession, while also linking Turkey's accession with her complying to her international obligations.

Referring to both recent and older Turkish threats over the island's accession, Mr Papapetrou said that one should prepare for any eventuality, and added that if Turkey's objective is to cause European concern over the possibility of a "hot episode", the Greek-Cypriot side should not act as a funnel channelling this sentiment.

Commenting on the phrase "all on the table" as regards the UN-sponsored Cyprus settlement talks, the Government Spokesman noted that this does not in any way mean that Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash can sidestep the confines of existing UN resolutions or that he is being given a carte-blanche legitimising such an action.

[03] denk ankara

In statements on his arrival, Mr Denktash said that during his visit, he had the chance to be briefed by Turkey's supreme military command on its positioning on both the country's internal matters and the Cyprus Issue.

Elaborating further, Rauf Denktash said that Turkey's Chiefs-of-Staff are adamant that their positioning be adopted, with a status of equal sovereignty for the Turkish-Cypriot community should the Cyprus Issue be resolved, first and foremost.

In closing, the occupation regime leader stressed that it would be totally unacceptable for Greek-Cypriots to ever return to their towns and villages.

[04] Petrol

[05] Turkey Ecevit

Government infighting between Ecevit's coalition partners forced parliament in July to call snap polls, a move welcomed by financial markets worried months of political uncertainty could wreck a 16 billion dollar International Monetary Fund recovery programme.

Ecevit called for the left to unite around him ahead of the elections.

Mainstream parties are badly divided ahead of the election, with a party suspected by the military of Islamist leanings leading opinion polls.

Markets are closely following the efforts of economy guru Kemal Dervis and others to build a unified centre-left platform that could mount a serious challenge.

[06] mideast

An Israeli military source said the army's pre-dawn push into the coastal village of Sheikh Ijleen -- the second in as many days -- was spurred by "suspicious movements of a number of people" in an area barred to Palestinians near the Jewish settlement of Netzarim. The same source added tersely, in a direct quote, that "Soldiers fired at them."

The raids on the village, coupled with Israel's cancellation of security talks with the Palestinians yesterday, have strained fragile high-level dialogue in pursuit of a step-by-step truce after 23 months of violence.

Last night meanwhile, Israeli troops searched a Palestinian industrial area near the West Bank town of Jenin, blowing open doors of businesses with explosives. Military sources said only that "an operation" was going on.

[07] britain-zimbabwe

Citing unidentified defence officials, the newspaper said that military planners are finalising road and air evacuation plans for an estimated 20,000 British nationals, mostly white farmers, and went on to note that the plan would involve 250 paratroopers set to conduct a two-month training exercise with South African troops this October. The exercise will also include Royal Air Force transport aircraft, which would reportedly be used to fly British citizens out of Harare airport, while evacuations may also be made by road into South Africa.

In response, Britain's Ministry of Defence dismissed the report, saying that the scheduled exercise has "nothing to do" with the situation in Zimbabwe, while the Foreign Office also denied that the government is moving to implement contingency plans in the land-locked country.

[08] us-ger creds

First to present his credentials was the new US Ambassador to Nicosia, Michael Klosson, who arrived on the island yesterday, having last served as US Consul-General to Hong Kong and Macau, with 27 years experience as a Foreign Service officer in Europe and East Asia.

Credentials were also presented today by Germany's new Ambassador to Cyprus, Jochen Trebesch.

[09] tailer

The rules of the contest, as set by a local radio station, were simple: collect the most grasshoppers over a two-day period.

The winner? One Brandy Elliott, who captured a stunning total of 38,000 of the six-legged high-jumpers and told Reuters after successfully claiming her tickets that she would go to bed every night dreaming about grasshoppers, and even found herself wondering if the number she had caught would be enough.

How though did she achieve this not-at-all-mean feat? She rigged up 1.5-metre nets made out of window screens and plastic tubing, after which she recruited her room-mate and some nephews and nieces to ride through ditches in the back of a large pick-up truck, rousing the critters and helping with the harvest. Over a 10-hour period, they managed to stuff two large garbage bags, a big bucket and several old detergent containers full of the grasshoppers.

And all this for a concert to be given by the British rocker in Regina, Saskatchewan, tomorrow, to an audience of about 13,000.

[10] weather

Generally fair conditions are also forecast for this evening, with winds abating to light northwesterlies, 2-3BF, on slight seas, and temperatures dropping to 21C inland, 22C in the south, 19C in the west, and 15C on the higher reaches of the Troodos mountains.

A reminder that the fire hazard is extremely high in all forest areas.

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