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

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

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] RUSSIA EXPLOSION

[03] IRAN LONDON

[04] IRAQ TROOPS

[05] TURKEY

[06] WESTON

[07] DENKTASH

[08] DISY OCCUPIED AREAS

[09] SENATE UNIVERSITY

[10] WINE FESTIVAL

[11] WEATHER Wednesday 3/09/2003

[01] HEADLINES

--Britain temporarily closed its embassy in Tehran today after shots were fired at it from the street.

--Turkey is considering a U.S. request for troops to help stabilise Iraq but would like to such a force to be under a U.N. or NATO mandate, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview published today.

--US State Department Coordinator for Cyprus, Thomas weston, is in Brussels where he will hold meetings with european officials.

and

-- The Political Bureau of the Democratic Rally decided last night that a party delegation will cross to the occupied north of Cyprus to examine the problems faced by the enclaved.

[02] RUSSIA EXPLOSION

The preliminary theory is that it was a terrorist act," a spokesman for the ministry told Reuters by telephone from the southern city of Rostov on Don.

The blast occurred near the spa town of Pyatigorsk, just northwest of the border with Chechnya, where federal forces have been fighting separatist rebels for most of the last decade. The violence has often spilled into neighbouring regions.

Interfax news agency quoted local police saying they had detained a man who tried to flee the area after the blast, but he was suffering from shock and had been taken to hospital.

Interfax put the number of wounded at 29, including seven in serious condition.

President Vladimir Putin, who confirmed December 7 as the date for parliamentary elections, called the local governor to be briefed on the explosion.

Mr. Putin has put forward a peace plan for Chechnya and is under pressure to curb the violence after a series of suicide bomb attacks by Chechen rebels this year, including one in Moscow.

[03] IRAN LONDON

A Foreign Office spokesman said no one was injured in the incident, which comes at a time of heightened tension following the arrest in Britain of a former Iranian diplomat in connection with the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Argentina.

The spokesman said that just before midday five shots were fired from the street at the British embassy in Tehran. "The bullets hit offices on the first and second floor of the building.

It further said that nobody was injured in this incident and that the embassy has been temporarily closed for business.

The two countries also said today Iran's ambassador to London had returned to Tehran for consultation following the dispute over the arrest of Hadi Soleimanpour in connection with the Buenos Aires bombing which killed 85 people.

[04] IRAQ TROOPS

Tikrit-based Sergeant Michael Evans said it is the soldiers can't be everywhere at the same time," said , referring to Iraq's recent string of bomb blasts and guerrilla attacks on the U.S.-led force in Iraq.

Around 150,000 American troops are stationed in Iraq, supported by 21,000 from other nations, 11,000 of them British.

As the human and financial costs mount, Washington is anxious for U.N. involvement to get more non-American soldiers in and perhaps allow some of its troops home.

U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday directed Secretary of State Colin Powell to open talks at the U.N. Security Council on a resolution aimed at building a wider, multinational force.

Sixty-seven U.S. and 11 British soldiers have been killed in attacks since Bush declared major combat over on May 1.

[05] TURKEY

Mr. Erdogan said in an interview published in Italy's La Repubblica that the United States has asked the country to send troops into Iraq and it is considering the proposal on many levels.

Together with Turkey, India and Pakistan -- wary of serving under Iraq's U.S. occupiers -- are among countries which have said there has to be a stronger U.N. mandate before they will send in soldiers.

U.S. President George W. Bush, under pressure at home and abroad over a failure to impose security in Iraq, has moved to draw the United Nations into a bigger, military role in the occupied country.

[06] WESTON

Mr. Weston will meet head of acession negotiations with Cyprus, Leopold Maurer and representatives of Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen and European Union (EU) high representative for foreign and security policy, Javier Solana.

The US official will give a press conference in the afternoon on the result of his contacts. He will then depart for Berlin, Paris and Rome. Mr. WEston yesterday held talks in London with Foreign Office officials. During the third week of September he will be in New York to hold a series of meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

[07] DENKTASH

Turkish Republican Party leader, Mehmet Ali Talat strongly criticised Mr. Denktash, ironically comparing him with Kemal Attaturk.

Mustafa Akkinci of the Peace and Democracy party hoped that God will "rid" Turkish Cypriots from Rauf Denktash and his supporters.

Solution and European Union party leader, Ali Erel criticised Rauf Denktash and his supporters for leading Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots at their current stage. He said that if the Cyprus problem was already solved, then Turkey would have progressed to the EU a long time ago.

He expressed hope that with the cooperation of the forces which want a change, the problems faced by the illegal regime will be solved with a solution to the Cyprus problem and EU accession.

[08] DISY OCCUPIED AREAS

In statements to CyBC, Deputy President Averof Neofytou described the decision as "bold" and added that the aim is to show the support and solidarity of his party to the people who for 29 years now have been making sacrifices to keep Rizokarpasso.

[09] SENATE UNIVERSITY

The Senate is also discussing the House Education committee's appeal to make available the 25 spots.

Rector Stavros Zenios insisted yesterday that the 25 spots remain vacant.

[10] WINE FESTIVAL

Free wine is available for all. A number of cultural events will take place during the two week event.

[11] WEATHER

Winds will be south-westerly to northerly moderate, three to four beaufort and the sea slight. Temperatures will reach 37 C inland, 32 on the south coast, 30 on the west and on the mountains.

Tonight the weather will be clear with thin mist and low cloud. Winds will be south-westerly to north-westerly light, two to three beaufort and the sea slight. Temperatures will fall to 22 inland, on the coasts and over the mountains.

Tomorrow the weather will be mainly clear with local cloud and isolated storms in the afternoon while temperatures will reach 34 C inland.

The fire hazard remains extremely high in all forest areas.

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