Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 04-10-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] PAPS VETO

[02] GREEK FM TURKEY

[03] IRAQ BLAST

[04] MARKETS OIL

[05] MIDEAST

[06] JAPAN QUAKE

[07] BIRDFLU VICTIM

[08] ARSON CARS

[09] WEATHER MONDAY 24 OCTOBER 2004

[01] PAPS VETO

In an interview with the Greek "Eleftheros Typos" newspaper, President Papadopoulos pointed out that there are a host of problems for small countries when they exercise veto. However, Turkey he said has a number of obligations against the EU and the Republic of Cyprus which it must fulfil, without this meaning that it will exercise veto or not.

He also stressed that it is Turkey's obligation to recognise all EU member states.

[02] GREEK FM TURKEY

The statement was made in the Greek daily "Apogevmatini" which added that on view of the General Affairs Council of the European Union, Greece is examining the Turkish provocations in the Aegean. It said "we are going for veto if you continue in the Aegean", adding that Greece will harden its stance.

Eleftheros Typos newspaper wrote that following the repeated Turkish provocations, both Athens and much more Nicosia, are open to all possibilities.

[03] IRAQ BLAST

Reuters television footage showed three corpses covered in blankets at the scene of the blast in Hurriya Square, near the Australian embassy on the east bank of the Tigris river.

"Three Iraqi civilians died and six others were wounded in a suspected vehicle born improvised explosive device detonated in central Baghdad," a U.S. military statement said. Nine wounded Iraqis were taken to hospitals in the capital.

An Australian armoured vehicle was knocked off the road by the blast. Police cordoned off the area and Australian soldiers guarded their vehicles. The Australian military could not immediately be reached for comment.

The U.S. military said another patrol was struck by a roadside bomb in a separate attack in western Baghdad. It caused minor damage to one armoured Humvee.

[04] MARKETS OIL

U.S. light, sweet crude oil futures rose 46 cents to 55.63 dollars a barrel, up from Friday's fresh 55.50 dollar peak and the latest in a succession of record highs. Prices have surged 70 percent since the start of the year.

London Brent crude jumped 56 cents to its own all-time high of 51.78 dollars a barrel.

The Norwegian Shipowners Association threatened today to expand a lockout to shut Norway's nearly three million barrels per day oil output in a bid to end a near four-month labour dispute.

Norway's government has in the past stepped in to end labour disputes when they threaten oil and gas production, although the government said today that the two parties involved would be responsible for the result of their actions.

[05] MIDEAST

Witnesses said pilotless aircraft fired five missiles at Palestinian targets in the southern town of Khan Younis, killing six people and wounding 16.

The strikes came as troops backed by tanks raided Khan Younis to prevent mortar attacks on Jewish settlements in the Gush Katif area.

Another four Palestinians were wounded by a tank shell shortly after the early Monday air strike.

Israel began its raid in Gaza late last night, hours after the Israeli cabinet approved details of a plan to withdraw Jewish settlers from the coastal strip next year.

The plan will be presented to Israel's parliament for debate today. Ratification was expected on Tuesday.

Violence has soared in anticipation of the withdrawal, with Israel determined to smash militants beforehand, and the militants firing rockets and mortars at Israelis in a bid to claim the pullout as a victory.

[06] JAPAN QUAKE

A strong quake with a magnitude of 5.6 shook rural Niigata prefecture, about 250 km north of Tokyo, two days after the first big tremor, which also injured more than 2,200.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said an increase in aftershocks meant there was a 40 percent chance of an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 or greater in the area in the next week.

Saturday's initial quake had a magnitude of 6.8.

Forecasts of rain for the evening raised the prospect of more landslides in areas lashed by recently heavy rain, and threatened to hamper emergency relief efforts.

The quakes follow a record 10 typhoons to hit Japan this year, including one that killed at least 80 people last week.

The tremor today, which struck in the morning, was one of hundreds of aftershocks since the initial quake, and was felt strongly in Tokyo. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries caused by the latest jolt.

[07] BIRDFLU VICTIM

"The laboratory test result showed today that the girl had H5N1," , a special adviser to the Public Health Ministry, said in the statement referring to the deadly form of the disease.

The ministry put the girl on the list of suspected cases after she died on Oct. 19 after being ill with flu-like symptoms for 11 days.

The ministry was awaiting laboratory test results on another suspected bird flu patient who died.

So far, 493 areas in 51 provinces are under bird flu watch, of which 280 areas in 41 provinces were confirmed to have been hit by the bird flu virus.

[08] ARSON CARS

The company belongs to Panagiota Serafim from Nicosia.

The fire broke out around two thirty in morning and was put out half an hour later .

A Fire brigade spokesman told CyBC that the culprits doused all vehicles with gas and then set them alight.

Damage is estimated at 140 thousand pounds. The showroom was not insured.

[09] WEATHER

Tonight it will be clear with north-westerly to north-easterly light winds, three beaufort and the sea will be slight to easterly and northerly moderate. Temperatures will fall to 15 C inland, 17 on the coasts and ten over the mountains. The fire hazard remains very high in all forest areas.

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