Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 03-07-07

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

CONTENTS

[01] Headlines

[02] Murder

[03] Shovel

[04] FIRE

[05] STRASBURG

[06] CHRYSOSTOMIDES

[07] KYPROS1

[08] BISHOP

[09] BLAIR

[10] IRAN

[11] CHECHNYA

[12] GAY BISHOP

[13] WEATHER MONDAY 7/7/03

[01] Headlines

The huge blaze that scorched four square kilometres of woodland near Kyvides has been brought under control,

Greek and Turkish Cypriot parties are meeting in Strasburg at the invitation of Council of Europe's General Secretary,

AND Iran has conducted a final test on a long-range, surface to surface missile capable of reaching Israel.

[02] Murder

Police describe Panayi as 1.7 metres tall with a slender build and short black and white hair.

The murder of Polykarpos Vassiliou from Asomatos happened on the Lanitis Farm where he lives with his wife.

Vassiliou was found dead at the entrance of his house by his wife.

According to police, Panayi was standing above the victim's body holding a shotgun.

Panayi told the victim's shocked wife as a ruse that the assailant was still inside their home, but fled as soon as the woman cleared the doorway.

[03] Shovel

According to police, four assailants accosted 27-year-old Michalis Michail and his 26-year-old brother Christos at their Limassol home, striking and wounding them with a knive and shovel.

The assailants fled after the attack, but two other men from Limassol appeared at the victims' home and according to police, threatened the brothers, as well as their father.

The brothers were taken to Limassol General Hospital where they were treated and released.

Police are looking for three suspects the brothers named as their assailants.

[04] FIRE

Deputy Fire Chief Georgios Papageorgiou told the CyBC that fire fighting efforts were particularly difficult because of high winds and difficult terrain.

He said fire crews will remain on the scene near the old village of Kivides for the next 48 hours to prevent a rekindling of the blaze.

Justice Minister Doros Theodorou told the CyBC that the fire caused significant environmental damage, destroying a private forest.

Mr. Theodorou congratulated fire crews for the persistence and tenacity they showed in combatting the blaze.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Andreas Christou said everyone is responsible for protecting the island's forests.

He said the fire was caused by someone's irresponsible actions, stressing the need for always taking precautionary measures in forest areas.

[05] STRASBURG

According to the Cyprus News Agency, the meeting is being held as part of the Council's interest in promoting dialogue between the two communities in Cyprus and aiding solution efforts.

Mr. Schwimmer's invitation was directed at all Greek and Turkish Cypriot political parties taking part in talks held in recent months at the Ledra Palace hotel.

Speaking on behalf of all Greek Cypriot parties attending the meeting, Akel Deputy Nicos Katsourides said he expects the Council's contribution to solution efforts to fall in line with the established spirit and principles guiding the Cyprus problem.

He added that the will and the wish of the Greek Cypriot side is to negotate on good faith with the aim of achieving a settlement.

Speaking from Strasburg, Republican Turkish Party leader Mehmet Ali Talat said a solution is possible in the next few months.

He added that the Turkish Cypriot side wishes for a Cyprus settlement and that the government of Rauf Denktash is incapable of carrying on.

[06] CHRYSOSTOMIDES

Speaking on CyBC radio this morning, Mr. Chrysostomides said the message must be sent out that partial lifting of travel restrictions across the ceasefire line is neither normalisation, nor a settlement.

The spokesman said Turkish forces continue to occupy and use Greek Cypriot property.

Referring to the dust-up caused by Greek pop star Lefteris Pantazis who turned down an invitation to perform in the north, Mr. Chrysostomides said the government was informed of the situation only at the last minute.

The spokesman said it was pointed out to Mr. Pantazis that overnight stays in the occupied areas are illegal and he was asked to show some sensitivity which he did.

[07] KYPROS1

Mr. Chrysostomides said the occupation regime and Ankara continue their effort to whitewash their negative stance at both the Copenhagen EU summit and at the Hague last March.

The spokesman also dismissed reports that the occupation regime is cleaning up the fenced-off area in Famagusta ahead of an announcement that its residents will be allowed to return.

Mr. Chrysostomides said reports have been planted by the Turkish Cypriot side.

[08] BISHOP

Paphos Bishop Chrysostomos told CyBC that the Archbishopric's chief accountant will give Holy Synod members a full accounting of what the Church is owned.

He said each case will be studied individually and decisions will be taken on how to collect.

The Bishop pointed out that extra attention will be paid to specific companies which owe the Church large amounts of money.

Also on the table will be the Church's investments, as well as the burgeoning number of employees.

He said under Archbishop Makarios, there were 12 employees, but that number has now grown to about 100.

[09] BLAIR

The Foreign Affairs Committee, which has been probing charges officials exaggerated intelligence on Iraq's weapons to strengthen the case for war, cleared Mr. Blair, a top aide and ministers of the allegations, made on the BBC.

But the committee did slap the government's wrists for giving undue prominence to questionable intelligence in a September dossier on Iraq's weapons and for plagiarising a student thesis for a second dossier published in February.

The report -- which was rejected by the committee's minority opposition members -- marks the latest chapter in a bitter dispute between the government and the country's public broadcaster over Iraq's weapons.

The British Broadcasting Corporation, citing an anonymous intelligence source, has accused a senior Blair aide of "sexing up" a dossier on Iraq's weapons.

With the committee's report, the government is expected to step up its attack on the BBC, which stands by its account.

[10] IRAN

The Shahab-3 ballistic missile, first tested in 1998, has a range of 1,300 km It is based on the North Korean Nodong-1 missile but has been improved with Russian technology.

The test comes as U.N. atomic agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei prepares to visit Tehran this week to seek clarification of Iran's nuclear programme.

The United States has accused Iran of developing nuclear arms, a charge Tehran strongly denies. It says its nuclear programme is for purely peaceful purposes and its missiles are for deterrence only.

Both the United States and Israel also accuse Iran of backing armed Palestinian groups responsible for suicide bombings against Israeli targets.

[11] CHECHNYA

A military source source quoted by Interfax news agency said dozens of bullet holes from automatic weapon fire were found in the body of the helicopter, which crashed on yesterday east of the regional capital, killing five servicemen.

Local media, quoting the Russian military, had reported the workhorse Mi-8 helicopter crashed seconds after take off due to a technical fault.

Guerrillas fighting Russian rule in Chechnya over the past decade have singled out military helicopters as a prime target.

This, as Russian President Vladimir Putin was quoted as telling ministers that separatists in Chechnya were key actors in international terrorism and he vowed to make no concessions to them.

[12] GAY BISHOP

The choice of Canon Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading enraged conservatives in the Anglican Church from Nigeria to Australia and sparked an acrimonious debate among the church's 70 million worshippers.

But in a sign that the dispute is not over, Sydney's Archbishop Peter Jensen, a standard-bearer for the traditional, evangelical wing of the church, said the crisis for the worldwide Anglican Church continues.

50-year-old John said yesterday he had decided after talks with church leaders not to take up the post, citing fears about church unity.

But supporters said John, who is in a 27-year relationship with another man but is celibate, was pushed out.

[13] WEATHER

Winds will be southwesterly to westerly moderate to fresh, force 4 to 5, and strong, force 6 on the south coast.

Seas will be generally slight to moderate, but rough on the southern and western coasts.

Temperatures will reach 37 degrees inland, 33 on the south coast, 30 on the west and 28 in the highest mountains.

More fine conditions tonight with fog and low cloud developing in some areas

Winds will be westerly light to moderate, force 3 to 4, with slight to moderate seas.

Temperatures will drop to 21 degrees inland and the coasts and 18 in the highest mountains.

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

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