Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 03-06-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] WESTON CYPRUS

[03] DENKTASH

[04] IACOVOU US

[05] GREECE TURKEY PLANE

[06] SPOKESMAN GREEK/VIOLATIONS

[07] QUAKE GREECE

[08] TAIWAN QUAKE

[09] MIDEAST

[10] WEATHER MONDAY 9/6/03

[01] HEADLINES

-- Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash said that if he does not win the illegal elections in the occupied areas next December, he will resign from the post of interlocutor but will remain leader of the regime.

-- Two Turkish F-16 fighter jets flew close to an Olympic Airways passenger plane inside Greek airspace on Monday, triggering the plane's crash avoidance system.

And

-- Two strong earthquakes shook Taiwan and Greece today, but no casualties were reported.

[02] WESTON CYPRUS

Speaking to CyBC, government Spokesman Kypros Chrisostomides said Mr. Weston's statements underline the American policy on the issue.

He also said the government is anticipating Mr. WEston's visit will concentrate on ascertaining the intention of all interested parties.

[03] DENKTASH

Speaking on a Turkish private TV channel, Mr. Denktash claimed the European Union's measures to support Turkish Cypriots makes them submit to Greek Cypriots and that the aid to be granted to three municipalities which are controlled by the opposition in the north.

Turkish Republican Party Leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, rejected Mr. Denktash's allegations on the three municipalities. He also said that the EU is responsible for the Greek Cypriots' accession to the EU and Denktash will one day be asked to account for his actions.

[04] IACOVOU US

Mr. Iacovou, in statements before his departure said that during his meetings with US officials and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan he will outline the Cyprus government's positions on the Cyprus problem and underline that in order to reach a Cyprus settlement the US and the UN should concentrate their efforts on persuading the Turkish side to contribute to that end.

The Foreign Minister said he would also exchange views on the steps to be followed until Cyprus becomes a full member of the EU in May 2004.

[05] GREECE TURKEY PLANE

The Boeing 717 passenger jet, flying from Athens to Constantinople, landed a short time later in the Turkish city.

Civil Aviation Deputy Director Thanassis Theodoropoulos told reporters that the incident took place 25 miles southwest of the Greek island of Lesbos.

He said the passengers had not been aware of the approaching Turkish jets and the Greek plane did not make any sudden changes in its route.

An Olympic Airways source told Reuters the passenger plane increased its altitude by 700 metres to avoid the jets flying 10 km in front of it.

[06] SPOKESMAN GREEK/VIOLATIONS

He expressed hope that Turkey will not reutrn to the policy of reaction without limits. Mr. Chrisostomides said Turkey is not aiming at averting Cyprus' accession to the EU because that has already been achived, but maybe to blackmail the EU on issues concerning its european course.

[07] QUAKE GREECE

Residents rushed out of shops and houses onto the city's streets after the tremor.

The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the quake's epicentre was 20 km southwest of Mount Olympus, near Larisa.

[08] TAIWAN QUAKE

The epicentre of the quake, was about 25 km northeast of Ilan on Taiwan's northeastern coast at a depth of 21 km.

The tremor was also felt in Taipei and the northern city of Hsinchu -- home to Taiwan's technology giants.

Taipei office buildings shook for nearly a minute and the subway system shut down briefly.

Two more aftershocks were recorded within the hour.

Earthquakes are frequent in Taiwan, which lies on a seismically active stretch of the Pacific basin.

One of Taiwan's worst-recorded quakes occurred in September 1999. Measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, it killed more than 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings.

[09] MIDEAST

"The position of the government is to denounce both attacks," Mr. Abbas told a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah after attacks yesterday in which five Israeli soldiers were killed and troops shot dead five Palestinian gunmen.

Condemning such attacks in general, Mr. Abbas said if they continue they will complicate the situation and make the peace process difficult. He also said that there is no alternative to dialogue adding however, that they will not force anyone to resume dialogue.

The Islamic militant group Hamas, which has carried out suicide bombings in Israel as part of a 32-month-old uprising for an independent Palestinian state, said it was pulling out of ceasefire talks with Mr. Abbas.

It accused the reformist Palestinian prime minister of being too conciliatory towards Israel at a summit in Jordan's Red Sea port of Aqaba last week with U.S. President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

[10] WEATHER

Winds will be south-westerly to westerly light to moderate, three to four beaufort and the sea slight to moderate in windward coastal areas.

Temperatures will reach 34 C inland, 32 C on the south and east coast, 29 C on the west coast and 25 C on the mountains.

Tonight the weather will be mainly clear but thin mist and low cloud will form in the early hours, affecting visibility.

Winds will be north-westerly light, two to three beaufort and the sea calm to slight. Temperatures will fall to 18 C inland and on the coasts and 15 over the mountains.

The fire hazard remains very high in all forest areas.

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