Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 03-07-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] BANGLADESH

[03] IACOVOU

[04] GREECE TURKEY OCEANOG

[05] BICOMMUNAL MATCH

[06] PEACE RALLY

[07] BUSH AFRICA

[08] MIDEAST

[09] LAOS REPORTERS

[10] HOTELS

[11] CYPRUS CHINA

[12] WEATHER Wednesday 9/07/2003

[01] HEADLINES

--The Greek government has lodged a ''strong verbal demarche'' with Turkey and was closely monitoring the activities of the Turkish oceanographic research vessel ''Piri Reis'' in the Aegean.

--The governments of Cyprus and Greece will take preventive measures on a diplomatic and political level to handle the Turkish activity regarding the appeals of Greek Cypriots to the European Court of Human Rights.

And, -- A peace rally is organised tonight at occupied Lefka village.

[02] BANGLADESH

The double-decker Nasreen was on its way from Dhaka to the southern town of Barisal when it nose-dived beneath the Meghna river at Chandpur, 170 km southeast of the capital.

It was carrying 600 passengers, double the legal maximum, plus cargo it was not licensed to carry.

One survivor said he was travelling on the roof of the vessel and dived off when it began to sink late last night.

According to officials more than 600 people were on board and that, according to survivors, only 200 swam to safety or were rescued. The rest sank with the ferry.

Among the survivors was 18-month-old Tania. Her parents are missing, feared drowned.

The disaster was the latest in a series of ferry accidents that plague the impoverished nation with tragic frequency. Officials said the spot was notorious for accidents.

It marks the confluence of three rivers -- the Meghna, the Padma and the Dakatia -- and the converging currents create a whirlpool effect, especially when the waters are high.

Rivers in the low-lying nation have swollen in recent weeks with the onset of the annual monsoon.

[03] IACOVOU

The issue was examined during a meeting in Athens between Foreign Minister of Cyprus George Iacovou and Greece's acting Foreign Minister, Tassos Yiannitsis.

Speaking to CyBC today, Mr. Iacovou said Turkey is citing the ECHR's workload and is trying to get the court refer appeals to the illegal regime in the north.

Mr. Iacovou said that they also decided that both the Greek and Cypriot missions in Strasbourg and european countries will coordinate their action.

[04] GREECE TURKEY OCEANOG

Foreign ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis affirmed that the activities of the Piri Reis were being monitored and that Greece had lodged strong demarches with Turkey.

Mr. Beglitis said that Turkish officials ''have reassured Greece that no seismic exploration will be conducted, just scientific research on the seabed, and in tandem that they desire a close cooperation with the Greek side, so that no problem would arise and in order for Turkey's international obligations to be adhered to.''

Asked if the Piri Reis had entered Greek national waters, Mr. Beglitis said Greece is investigating the issue but according to early information it does not appear to have occurred.

[05] BICOMMUNAL MATCH

It is organised by the Italian embassy in Nicosia which aims to promote bicommunal activities on the island.

UNFICYP said all proceeds will go towards a medical research programme in Cyprus.

[06] PEACE RALLY

It is organised by the Initiative Group for Peace in the Lefka Area and has called on Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Armenians, Maronites and Latins to take part.

The group reminded that the Lefka community organised the first joint gathering of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot miners 55 years ago.

It also said that tonight's rally will be the spark in the struggle to open the divisive line, to solve the Cyprus problem and for Cyprus' accession to the EU.

[07] BUSH AFRICA

The U.S. president is also set to urge greater efforts to promote free elections and economic reforms in neighbouring Zimbabwe during talks with his host, South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Mr. Bush arrived in South Africa late last night from Senegal, where he told West African leaders he would help to end Liberia's civil war but that he had not yet decided on sending peacekeeping troops there.

After an official welcome in Pretoria today Mr. Bush, flanked by Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice met Mr. Mbeki and his top aides.

The differences between Washington and Pretoria over Zimbabwe are stark. The United States is pushing the troubled southern African state's neighbours to pressure President Robert Mugabe to reform, but South Africa thus far has resisted.

In a rare sign of pro-Bush sentiment on a continent still dubious about the U.S. war on Iraq, about 100 supporters of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria to thank the U.S. president for advocating a tougher line on Mugabe.

[08] MIDEAST

Military sources said the Palestinian was killed after he opened fire on soldiers arresting a wanted man in an area of the northern West Bank from which Islamist militants sent a suicide bomber into Israel on Monday, violating a 10-day-old ceasefire.

Palestinian security sources said Israeli forces entered the village of Burqin close to Jenin before dawn, burst into a Palestinian home and arrested a 22-year-old militant.

The sources said that moments later soldiers fired at the neighbouring home of the militant's 27-year-old brother, who they said was killed while looking out a window. They also said the man's wife was shot in the head and seriously wounded.

A U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan was launched last month and leading Palestinian factions declared a ceasefire, but some local militant groups have refused to abide by it.

Monday's suicide attack, in which an Israeli woman was killed in her home, was the first since the truce was announced.

[09] LAOS REPORTERS

The Laotian Ambassador to Thailand told Reuters the three could be deported to Thailand later today.

[10] HOTELS

PASIXE director, Zacharias Ioannou said the association was satisfied with the clarifications it had received by Labour Minister Keravnos on the two issues which it had disagreed with.

[11] CYPRUS CHINA

The cheque was handed over today by Foreign Minister George Iacovou to China's Ambassador to Cyprus Zhang Limin.

[12] WEATHER

Winds will turn to moderate to strong sea breezes, four beaufort and the sea will be slight to moderate.

Temperatures will reach 36 C inland, 32 C on the south coast, 30 C on the west and 28 C over the mountains.

Tonight, the weather will be clear but thin mist and low cloud will develop over the coastal areas. Winds will be westerly to north-westerly light, two to three beaufort and the sea will be slight. Temperatures will fall to 22 C inland and on the south coast, 21 C on the west and north and 19 over the mountains.

The fire hazard remains extremely high in all forest areas.

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