Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 03-08-07

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

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] IRAQ BOMB

[03] SADDAM US

[04] BALI BOMBER

[05] JAKARTA GROUP

[06] FIRES

[07] ANASTASIADES PAPS

[08] ID CARDS NORTH

[09] GUL TURKEY

[10] TALAT UNITED DEMOCRATS

[11] WEATHER Thursday 7/08/2003

[01] HEADLINES

--An Indonesian Muslim militant dubbed "the smiling bomber" was sentenced to death today after being found guilty of helping carry out last year's deadly nightclub attacks on the resort island of Bali.

--Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos and opposition Democratic Rally Party leader, Nicos Anastasiades held their first meeting since the presidential elections of last February today.

And,

-- The illegal regime in the occupied areas of Cyprus is issuing a large number of so called "identity cards" to Turkish settlers in view of the illegal elections of December.

[02] IRAQ BOMB

The motive for the attack was not immediately clear and no group claimed responsibility. But the blast occurred one week after Jordan gave asylum to two daughters of Saddam Hussein.

A U.S. officer, who declined to be identified, said at least eight bodies had been taken from the scene. Iraqi police Captain Ahmad Suleiman said four civilians were killed in a car caught in the blast and five policemen outside the complex also died.

Dozens were wounded, including seven from inside the embassy, and rushed to nearby hospitals.

Many embassies in Baghdad are empty, as the U.S.-led administration has not accredited foreign diplomats.

The blast comes a week after Jordan announced it had granted asylum to Saddam's elder daughters Raghd and Rana and their children, angering many Iraqis.

Supporters of the deposed Iraqi leader might also have had a motive -- they felt betrayed by Jordan, which aligned itself with Washington during the U.S.-led invasion.

[03] SADDAM US

general hunting the fugitive dictator around his home town of Tikrit said on Thursday.

Major General Ray Odierno, commander of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division, who is hunting the fugitive dictato around his home town of Tikrit said today he could not be certain how close his troops had come to capturing Saddam or that he was definitely in the area. But he had regular intelligence that he was.

Asked how Saddam was eluding the tens of thousands of U.S. troops seeking him in north central Iraq, he said he imagined the support network was similar to those exposed after the capture near Tikrit of Saddam's private secretary and the killing of his sons Uday and Qusay in Mosul last month.

General Odierno stressed that his force's main targets were lower level guerrillas attacking his troops in the former leader's "Sunni triangle" heartlands north and west of Baghdad.

[04] BALI BOMBER

The defiant man clenched his fists, punched the air in triumph and smiled as police led him from the courtroom after the sentence was passed.

Survivors of the blasts and relatives of victims hugged and kissed each other as the verdict was read out and some shed tears. Many shouted with delight.

The verdict came just two days after a car bomb killed at least 10 people at a luxury hotel in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, and coincided with concern that a shadowy Southeast Asian network linked to al Qaeda might be plotting further attacks.

He was found guilty of helping to plot, organise and carry out crimes of terror in relation to the nightclub blasts that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists, on October 12 last year.

It was the first verdict in the Bali bomb trials and the man's lawyers said they would be launching an immediate appeal.

[05] JAKARTA GROUP

Jemaah Islamiah or Islamic Community, once little known outside Southeast Asia, has become notorious around the world after it was named in connection with last October's Bali bomb blasts that killed 202 people and wounded hundreds.

As in one of the Bali blasts, a car bomb was used in the Marriott Hotel attack. As in Bali, the bomb was detonated by a mobile phone and a suspected suicide bomber was involved, police said.

At least 10 people were killed and 150 wounded in the explosion at the hotel, in the heart of Jakarta's business district.

[06] FIRES

Two fires still raged out of control and more than 2,500 firefighters and soldiers were combating the blazes in central Portugal and burying smouldering remains.

But temperatures were again forecast to rise to nearly 40 degrees centigrade later in the day, putting at risk tinder-dry forests in a heatwave that has fannned blazes throughout Europe.

Portugal's Forestry Commission estimated that about 250,000 acres of woodlands, or about three percent of forested area, had burned since the start of last week.

[07] ANASTASIADES PAPS

In statements, Mr. Anastasiades said the meeting, which lasted one and a half hours, was very constructive and was held in a good atmosphere.

The opposition leader said he told the President how the opposition interprets its role and what it expects from the government.

Mr. Anastasiades said that as long as there is agreement and understanding before hand, his party would be ready to support the government's positions.

Furthermore, he said the replies he received from President Papadopoulos were satisfying and expressed hope to continue what began today.

[08] ID CARDS NORTH

According to Turkish Cypriot daily "Afrika", the Denktash regime has ordered from Turkey fifty thousand new ID cards which will hand over to settlers to allow them to "vote" but also to visit the government controlled areas of the Republic.

The ID cards do not specify the place of birth.

[09] GUL TURKEY

Mr. Gul maintained that Turkey is doing whatever possible for a viable solution to the Cyprus problem and that the so called agreements with the illegal regime aim at strengthening it economically.

[10] TALAT UNITED DEMOCRATS

The Cyprus problem and developments between the two communities and the two parties' relations were the main issues discussed during a meeting of the leaders of the two parties, George Vassiliou and Mehmet Ali Talat.

In a joint statement the two parties said they support all measures of good will which contribute to the communication and development of trust between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. They also underline that the measures do not constitute a Cyprus settlement but they are of vital significance in supporting the implementation and viability of the solution.

[11] WEATHER

Tonight the weather will remain mainly clear with some thin mist and low cloud. The cloud will thicken in areas. Winds will be westerly to north-westerly light, two to three beaufort and the sea calm to slight. Temperatures will fall to 23 C inland, on the west and north coast, to 24 over the south and east coast and 20 over the mountains.

The fire hazard remains extremely highh in all forest areas.

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