Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 02-09-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] Headlines

[02] German elections

[03] Trifonos

[04] Vassiliou

[05] Iraq answer

[06] USA-Iraq

[07] Birds

[08] Larnaca fatality

[09] Bomb

[10] Granny buys a house

[11] Weather MONDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2002

[01] Headlines

--- Trifonas Trifonos died last night of the injuries he received in his attempted get away after holding up a branch of the Bank of Cyprus in Limassol earlier this month.

--- Cyprus' Chief Negotiator with the EU, George Vassiliou, has expressed certainty that the European Commission progress report on Cyprus, to be officially issued on October 9th, will be very positive.

and...

--- In response to the pressure put upon by the USA and Britain on the Security Council to adopt a new resolution, Iraq stated yesterday that it's decision to reject any new UN Security Council resolution was not defiance but a logical view.

[02] German elections

"We have difficult times ahead," a visibly merry Schroeder called to his jubilant Social Democrat supporters early this morning after voters cut his majority over the combined opposition parties to nine from 21 at the last election.

The centre left government may be too fragile to reform a highly taxed, highly regulated economy, the world's third largest, seen in danger of becoming as stagnant as Japan's.

The main parties were due to hold meetings today to discuss the result. The Social Democrats and the Greens will need to agree on an economic policy for the next four years and settle a new cabinet likely to involve a number of changes.

Schroeder must also move fast to repair relations with the United States, damaged by his opposition to a U.S.-led war on Iraq and by reports that his justice minister compared President George W. Bush's methods to Hitler's.

[03] Trifonos

Thirty year old Trifonos, from Prasteio Kellakiou, was shot in the chest and in the stomach area by police who were pursuing the man after he fled from the bank in a car after stealing seventeen thousand pounds.

The police shot at the robber only after Mr. Trifonos had opened fire on them with a machine gun.

Trifonos was taken to Limassol Hospital and later care for in the Intensive Care Unit.

A post-mortem of the body will take place today.

[04] Vassiliou

Commenting on the content of the report, as it appeared in the Greek press, Mr. Vassiliou said that although it was positive, Cyprus would still have to face obstacles from Turkey.

Asked about Turkish threats to annex the areas of Cyprus it occupies if the island joins the EU prior to a solution, Mr. Vassiliou said one should take them seriously into consideration.

On the other hand, he said, these threats were just an effort to influence Europe in its decisions rather than statements on what Turkey plans to do.

Mr. Vassiliou said Turkey was well aware of the fact that such a move would isolate it from Europe, a state Ankara was not keen on getting itself into.

The Chief Negotiator was speaking after a meeting with the Finnish envoy for Cyprus, who is currently on the island.

Alvaro de Soto - papandreou

Greece's foreign minister, George Papandreou met with the UN Chief's Special Advisor on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto in Athens this morning.

The meeting's was centered around the intense conference of UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, and his advisor, and the meeting which Mr. Annan will hold with President Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash on the third and fourth of October in New York.

Mr. de Soto shall return to Cyprus for the two final meetings with the President of the Republic and Mr. Denktash to concentrate on the discussions and the visit to Ankara, where there shall be a meeting with the Turkish foreign Minister, before the trip to New York.

[05] Iraq answer

But Iraq this week vowed to reject any resolution running contrary to an agreement reached with the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Baghdad did not give any details of that accord but was apparently referring to a 1998 agreement, endorsed by the Security Council, that had special procedures for entering President Saddam Hussein's palace compounds.

Iraq's Vice President, Taha Yassin Ramadan said the United States used inspectors as a pretext to justify threatened military action against Iraq, adding "We are convinced that America had not hoped for this Iraqi decision."

Russia and France, both permanent members of the Security Council with veto powers, have expressed doubt about the need for a new resolution.

[06] USA-Iraq

Rice said in an interview with the London based Financial Times that in the event Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was removed by force, the United States and its allies "would have to be completely devoted to the reconstruction of Iraq".

Rice continued that the United States wanted to see the United Nations take effective action on ensuring that Iraq did not have nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

[07] Birds

Minister of the Interior Andreas Panayiotou met this morning with the two committees set up to back the hunting of small birds, known as "ampelopoulia".

Speaking after the meeting, Mr. Panayiotou said he made it clear to the committee members that the country must observe the law and international treaties.

Mr. Panayiotou urged the committees to understand how dangerous their actions were to Cyprus' EU accession course, and said he was prepared to go to Paralimni and explain the situation to the people there.

The committee members said the hunting of "ampelopoulia" was a tradition that should be preserved.

"Ampelopoulia" are caught using limesticks or mist nets and are dished up at three pounds a piece at restaurants in the area.

[08] Larnaca fatality

The accident happened when Marinou's powerful motorcycle, under unknown circumstances, hit an electricity pole. The death of the young man, who was not wearing a helmet, was instant.

[09] Bomb

The car, which was entirely wrecked, belonged to George Petsa and was owned by the company 'El Stanley Sauprus'.

The car was in the parking space of Mr. Petsa's home in Veligradiou Street in the area of Elaionon. Five minutes later two gun shots were heard.

A police spokesman stated that the explosion was a result of an explosive device placed somewhere in the car.

Five minutes after the explosion two gunshots were heard.

The police have not yet localized the area where the gunshots were fired.

[10] Granny buys a house

Her local financial institution is banking on the mother-of-five living to 122 under the terms of the loan.

Margaret Cole, who grew up in a poor coal-mining town in Wales, Britain, decided concerns among the nation's traditionally risk averse banks about her age would not stop her embracing the "great Australian dream" of home ownership.

She plans to move into her A$198,000 three-bedroom home at Watanobbi, a suburb north of Sydney on the New South Wales central coast, later this week.

[11] Weather

Winds will be southwesterly to westerly, light to moderate, three to four beaufort, over slight seas.

Temperatures will reach 32 degrees inland, 30 along the south coast, and 22 over the mountains.

Tonight will be clear.

Winds will be northwesterly, light, two to three beaufort, over calm to slight seas.

Temperatures will drop to 19 degrees inland and along the west coast, to 21 along the south coast, and to 13 over the mountains.

The fire hazard is extremely high in all forest areas.

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