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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 03-09-05Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>CONTENTS
[01] HEADLINES--The replacement of Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash from the post of negotiator and the creation of a so called "parliamentary committee" which will represent the Turkish Cypriot side in negotiations is the fundamental priority of the three main parties of the opposition in the occupied areas and it is contained in a protocol.-- Two bombs exploded outside a courthouse in central Athens today, injuring one police guard in an attack possibly linked to the trial of men accused of being Greek November 17 urban guerrillas. -- US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited American forces in Saddam Hussein's hometown todat after France and Germany spurned a U.S. effort to persuade more countries to help with cash and troops in Iraq. And --President George W. Bush today launched a vigorous defense of his economic policies, firing back at Democrats who say his tax cuts failed to spur job growth and have bloated the budget deficit. [02] PARTIES TC PROTOCOLThe replacement of Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash from the post of negotiator and the creation of a so called "parliamentary committee" which will represent the Turkish Cypriot side in negotiations is the fundamental priority of the three main parties of the opposition in the occupied areas and it is contained in a protocol.The Republican Turkish Party, the Movement of Peace and Democracy and the Movement for the Solution and Accession to the EU" signed the protocol yesterday. On the Cyprus problem, the three parties said their prime objective is the creation of a United Republic of Cyprus, as they described it, within the framework of a solution based on the Annan Plan and the political equality of the two "states". Another aim is the accession of the state that will be created, in the EU by May 2004. It also notes that a referendum on the agreement will take place. [03] TC COMPENSATIONThe Turkish Cypriot press claimed today that Greek Cypriots began submitting applications before the so called compensation commitees for their properties in the occupied areas.According to "Kibris" the so called "Attorney-General" Akin Saed said the occupation authorities will not give data about those who made the applications because of the threats, he said, they face in the free areas and the problems imposed on the partial freedom of movement. The report further said that the committee will examine the applications and will complete its work within the next months. [04] ATHENS BOMB- Two bombs exploded outside a courthouse in central Athens today, injuring one police guard in an attack possibly linked to the trial of men accused of being Greek November 17 urban guerrillas.A police spokesman said the bombs went off about 10 minutes apart, with the second explosion injuring the officer as he went to investigate the first. The courts were closed at the time. No one has claimed responsibility for the explosions, but police said they could be a response to yesterday's testimony in the trial of Greek Marxist Alexandros Giotopoulos accused of being the founder of the November 17 guerrilla group and 18 other suspected leftist guerrillas. Before being broken up last year, November 17 killed 23 British, Turkish and U.S. diplomats as well as Greek politicians and businessmen over 27 years. [05] IRAQUS Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited American forces in Saddam Hussein's hometown todat after France and Germany spurned a U.S. effort to persuade more countries to help with cash and troops in Iraq.The downbeat mood of some soldiers preparing for mr. Rumsfeld's visit revealed the pressure behind Washington's appeal to get more non-American troops to Iraq, where U.S.-led forces have been struggling against a wave of shooting and bomb attacks. Mr. Rumsfeld has urged allies to send an extra 15,000 troops, but substantial differences need to be bridged if the U.N. Security Council is to endorse Washington's call for international help. Ahead of Rumsfeld's visit the U.S. military tripled the usual troop numbers around Tikrit, 175 km north of Baghdad. This week U.S. soldiers fought Iraqi guerrillas who fired mortars near their base -- a palace which had been used by Saddam before U.S.-led forces deposed him in April. Soldiers swept streets clean around the complex of fishing lakes and mansions ahead of the visit. But not all were ready to roll out the red carpet. The Pentagon chief has been heavily criticised from inside and outside the military for extending troops' deployments because of an unwillingness to send fresh U.S. forces to Iraq. The United States has about 150,000 soldiers in Iraq, compared to about 22,000 soldiers from other countries. [06] MIDEAST5Israeli soldiers killed a suspected militant today in an exchange of fire with gunmen they had come to arrest in a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus.The troops fired four missiles at a four-storey apartment building where the gunmen -- defying a call over loudspeakers to surrender -- were holed up, damaging two floors of the structure after residents fled. Israel has stepped up sweeps for militants in West Bank cities since the collapse last month of a ceasefire underpinning a U.S.-backed Middle East peace plan. [07] BUSH ECONOMYPresident George W. Bush today launched a vigorous defense of his economic policies, firing back at Democrats who say his tax cuts failed to spur job growth and have bloated the budget deficit.Without mentioning anyone by name, Mr. Bush criticized those -- such as Democratic presidential contender Howard Dean -- who have said they would roll back his tax cuts. The US President has pushed through three tax-cut packages in his 2-1/2 years in the White House and made them the centerpiece of his economic agenda. He said that had the administraiton not not taken action, the economy would have been in a deeper recession. Mr. Bush told CNBC that he was "much more optimistic today than he was a year ago" about the nation's job-creating prospects. The U.S. economy slid into recession in March 2001. Although the downturn officially ended in November 2001, economic growth last year and in the first half of this year has been extremely weak and job losses have continued. [08] EU DEMOAnti-globalisation protesters today blocked two main roads leading into a lakeside town due to host a meeting of European Union foreign ministers later in the day.Two groups of around 250 activists closed off the access routes, strewing bits of computer across the tarmac causing lengthy tailbacks down the narrow, snaking roads. The leader of Italy's so called "disobedients" movement said they went to the resort to block an injustice. Police watched the two roadblocks from a distance and made no immediate attempt to clear the crowds away. EU foreign ministers were due to spend 24 hours in the picturesque, northern Italian resort where talks will include Iraq, the Middle East and a new European constitution. The gathering kicks off at around 1100 GMT and the ministers were expected to be flown into town by helicopter to avoid the demonstrations. Activists say up to 20,000 demonstrators will march through Riva del Garda tomorrow to protest against EU trade and foreign policies. [09] WEATHERThis afternoon, cloud will develop which will bring local rain and passing storms. Winds will be south-westerly to westerly moderate to strong, four beaufort and very strong, six beaufort in windward areas,The sea will be moderate to rough. Temperatures will fall to 32 C inland, 30 C on the coasts and 24 on the mountains. Tonight passing cloud will give local rain over the mountains and the coasts while tomorrow there will be isolated storms. Gradually the weather will become clear. Winds will be south-westerly to westerly strong, four to five beaufort, becoming westerly to north-westerly moderate, three to four beaufort and later light, two to three beaufort. The sea will be moderate to rough, and later becoming moderate again. Temperatures will fall to 19 C inland, 21 on the coasts and 18 over the mountains. The fire hazard remains extremely high in all forest areas. Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |