Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 02-10-03

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] NY TALKS

[02] ANNAN

[03] CLERIDES WESTON HANNAY

[04] PAPAPETROU

[05] DENKTASH POSITION

[06] DENKTASH ANGIOGRAM

[07] IRAQ DEVELOP

[08] US IRAQ DEBATE

[09] MIDEAST

[10] TURKEY QUAKE

[11] GREECE 17

[12] SENER

[13] TC POLL

[14] WEATHER THURSDAY 3 OCTOBER 2002

[01] HEADLINES

-- British Prime Minister tony Blair said that weapons inspectors should not return to Iraq until a tougher UN resolution has been approved.

-- The US Senate opens a debate today on President George Bush's call for authority to launch a US strike on Iraq

-- A moderate quake meauring 4,7 on the richter scale hit central Turkey today but no casualties or damage were reported

And,

-- Two Turkish Cypriot journalists imprisoned by the Denktash regime were freed today

[01] NY TALKS

Mr. Annan will meet President Clerides at seven pm today and will hold a meeting with Mr. Denktash half an hour later.

A Working lunch will follow which the UN Chief will give for the two leaders.

Earlier, UN Secretary-General's special adviser, Alvaro De Soto will hold separate meetings with President Clerides and Mr. Denktash.

[02] ANNAN

He also put off for now a plan to put his own draft peace plan on the table.

[03] CLERIDES WESTON HANNAY

Mr. Weston said he looks forward to the New York talks which will continue tomorrow and expressed the hope there will be some very good results.

Lord Hannay did not make any statements, but diplomatic sources said both he and Mr. Weston welcomed President Clerides' stance while they were disappointed with the proposals the Turkish Cypriot leader has submitted during the talks.

Mr Weston and Lord Hannay leave from New York to Washington today.

President clerides had talks with Greek Foreign Ministry officials Christos Panagopoulos and Costas Tritaris who earlier met Lord Hannay and Mr. Weston.

[04] PAPAPETROU

Mr Papapetrou said what was confirmed from the meetings was that the talks this afternoon and tomorrow will not yield any surprises or any new proposals.

Asked to comment on the negative statements made by the Turkish Cypriot leader that the UN-led talks will continue after the Copenhagen European Council, Mr Papapetrou said Mr. Denktash is trapped in his own logic of threats about the island's accession to the European Union.

The spokesman added that nothing can stop the island's accession course, and if Mr. Denktash does not cooperate until December, then the Greek Cypriot side will continue its efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem even after accession to the EU.

[05] DENKTASH POSITION

He said if the EU access the "greek cyprus", as he put it, within its ranks in December, then the talks for the island's future will terminate.

Mr Denktash further claimed that a similar decision will be a major mistake and will "poison" the efforts to find a solution.

[06] DENKTASH ANGIOGRAM

The procedure was done at the Methodist Hospital in New York and forced Mr. Denktash to cancel all his appointments yesterday.

It was carried out by Turkish-American cardiologist Mehmet Oz.

According to sources, the Greek Cypriot side was aware of Mr. Denktash's medical examinations.

[07] IRAQ DEVELOP

According to BBC Radio, the British premier also urged the international community to present a united front on Iraq, avoiding "mixed signals" which he said could increase the likelihood of military action.

In another development, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov said today that Russia opposed any mention of automatic use of force against Iraq in a new U.N. draft resolution.

He told Interfax news agency that attempts to make the U.N. Security Council subscribe to automatic use of force against Iraq are unacceptable for Russia.

Meanwhile, China pushed for a political solution to the crisis over Iraq after U.S. President George W. Bush won congressional support for military action.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the the top priority at this moment is to let U.N. weapon inspectors return to Iraq as soon as possible and start work smoothly.

At the UN, France has threatened to push its own Security Council resolution on Iraq if Washington introduces its current proposals without any compromise, diplomats said.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate opens debate on Bush's call for authority to launch a U.S. strike on Iraq, which Congress is expected to grant overwhelmingly despite some Democrats' misgivings that the war powers are too broad and premature.

[08] US IRAQ DEBATE

A day after Mr. Bush made a bipartisan display of congressional support in the Rose Garden for the use of force resolution he agreed to with Republican leaders and House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt, senators were to start opening statements that open debate on a major issue.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said the Senate would "adopt with broad bipartisan support a resolution that clearly provides the president the authority he needs to deal with Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction."

Many lawmakers said there was little chance the resolution, which the Republican-led House of Representatives is to vote on next week, will be changed significantly.

The resolution agreed to by Mr. Bush and House leaders would allow the President to use force "as he determines to be necessary and appropriate" to defend U.S. national security and enforce all relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.

[09] MIDEAST

In another development, the Israeli government said it would close a giant fuel depot it believes is at risk of a Palestinian bomb attack or Iraqi missile strike that could cause thousands of casualties.

[10] TURKEY QUAKE

The quake hit the town of Sultandagi in Afyon province at 0725 GMT.

More than 40 people died and 300 were injured during an earthquake in Afyon in February. Sultandagi has since experienced several small and moderate quakes, including a 3.3-magnitude tremor last month.

[11] GREECE 17

A Police source said today the money was hidden in rocks just a few metres from the home of Alexandros Giotopoulos, 58, on the eastern Aegean island of Lipsi.

Mr. Giotopoulos, arrested on the island in July and charged with a series of murders, bomb attacks and bank robberies, has denied any involvement with the group.

He has been remanded in custody pending trial.

[12] SENER

The two journalists resorted to the so called "Supreme Court" in the occupied areas which freed them.

They both worked at the Turkish Cypriot newspaper "Africa" at the time of their illegal imprisonment.

[13] TC POLL

It also revealed that 28 per cent favour the creation of two independent states, and a 12 per cent want a united state.

Another five per cent want unification of the Turkish occupied north with Turkey.

[14] WEATHER

Winds will be south-westerly to north-westerly moderate, four and locally five beaufort.

The sea will be moderate in windward areas while temperatures will rise to 28 C inland and on the coast and 21 on the mountains.

Tonight, the weather will be clear with some passing cloud. Winds will be north-westerly light, three beaufort and the sea slight.

Temperatures will fall top 15 C inland, 18 C on the coasts and 13 C on the mountains.

The fire hazard remains extremely high in all forest areas.

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article