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Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 04-10-27Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>CONTENTS
[01] Headlines lunchIt's an EU deadlock. Incoming European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso withdrew his proposed team today, rather than face looming defeat in a crucial European Parliament vote,Greece today warned that it has given no one a card blanche over giving Turkey a date to start accession negotiations, In Japan, a mother and her two toddlers were found trapped in their car under tonnes of rock and mud, this morning, nearly four days after a deadly earthquake hit the northern part of the country, and "French" has become a dirty word in the American presidential campaign. Stay tuned to find out more. [02] Barroso EUIncoming European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso withdrew his proposed team today, rather than face looming defeat in a crucial European Parliament vote.In an unprecedented and humiliating reverse, Barroso told Socialist floor leader Martin Schulz, whose 200-strong group had demanded the replacement of controversial Italian nominee Rocco Buttiglione, that he would request a postponement of the vote to propose a changed team. The climbdown came after Barroso concluded he did not have enough support to win without replacing Buttiglione, whose conservative Roman Catholic views on homosexuality and marriage offended many lawmakers, as justice and home affairs chief. Schulz said he would accept a one-month delay in the roll-call vote, which had been due at one o clock Cyprus time. Barroso said he would consult EU leaders and parliament before putting forward new proposals "in the next few weeks". The delay plunges the EU into political crisis two days before its leaders are due to sign the bloc's first constitution in Rome, leaving the outgoing executive led by Romano Prodi in office in a caretaker capacity from next Monday. Meanwhile, the Dutch presidency is exploring the possibility of holding an emergency summit in Rome tomorrow to discuss the crisis. EU Commission President Romano Prodi and his 25-member team will remain in office until the European parliament approves a new executive. [03] Heating oilThe Cabinet today set out a strategy on how to deal with the crucial issue of the price of heating oil. Government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides refrained from giving any details after the meeting and referred reporters to a house of representatives meeting next Thursday. Regarding a criminal case opening in court on the 8th of November against health minister Dina Akkelidou, the spokesman said that it was not discussed during the cabinet meeting. The Cabinet today approved the EU Constitutional Treaty and authorized President Papadopoulos and foreign minister Yiorgos Iacovou to sign the document, in a ceremony scheduled for Friday, in Rome. Spokesman Chrysostomides said that the Treaty is the result of a long procedure and dialogue between member states.[04] Akkelidou chargesThe charges against Dina Akkelidou were filed in court this morning. They refer to a violation of article 122 of the criminal code, after the health minister sent a letter to a judge in the Larnaca district court, during a drug trafficking case. The trial will start on the eighth of November and 50 witnesses will be called to testify.[05] Valinakis TurkeyGreece today warned that it has given no one a card blanche over giving Turkey a date to start accession negotiations. It was a response by the deputy foreign minister Yiannis Valinakis, when asked if Greece is certain to say YES to Turkey getting a date, despite continuous violations of Greek airpace in the Aegean, by Turkish fighter jets. In statements to the Greek national broadcaster, Mr Valinakis explained that in international politics, there is no card blanche, and everyone will be judged by the European Council in December. The Greek official said that Athens and Nicosia regard the issue of Turkey's EU date in a very similar light and they will go to the summit in December, having already mapped out a clear strategy.[06] Japan rescueIt was a miracle, in the midst of tragedy. In Japan, a mother and her two toddlers were found trapped in their car under tonnes of rock and mud, this morning, nearly four days after a deadly earthquake hit the northern part of the country.National broadcaster NHK, that fed live pictures of the rescue throughout the world, said all were alive when found. Orange-clad rescue workers toiled for hours to shift huge boulders that had crashed onto the family's white van to rescue two-year-old Yuta Minagawa, who was airlifted to hospital. Aftershocks jolted the area as workers used shovels, crowbars and brute force to try and free the boy's three-year-old sister Mayu and their mother, Takako. The family were on their way home from visiting friends when the quake struck on Saturday, killing at least 31 people and injuring almost four thousand in the rural Niigata region, 250 km north of Tokyo. The 6.8 magnitude tremor was Japan's deadliest since a 7.2 quake killed more than 6,400 in the western city of Kobe in 1995. More than 100 thousand survivors of Saturday's quake, many of them elderly, were still in makeshift shelters, enduring another day of stress and fatigue and raising fears the death toll could rise. [07] Mideast wrapIsraeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon rejected calls this morning, from four cabinet ministers for a referendum on his plan to withdraw from occupied Gaza after it won parliamentary approval last night in a stormy meeting of the Knesset.Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and three other ministers gave Sharon a two-week deadline to call for a popular vote or said they would quit. Sharon told the Haaretz newspaper that he will never give in to pressures and threats, or accept any ultimatums. He argued that a possible referendum will lead to terrible tensions in public opinion. [08] French DirtyAnd finally, For centuries the very mention of France has conjured up images of elegance and sophistication but in an increasingly heated U.S. presidential campaign, "French" has become a dirty word.Capitalizing on anti-French sentiment among some Americans following France's decision not to back the war in Iraq, some Republicans have repeatedly accused Democratic contender Sen. John Kerry of "looking French." The conservative press has jumped on the bandwagon, spurred by an anonymous Bush adviser making the comparison to The New York Times. President George W. Bush and his campaign declined to comment. "Pas de commentaire," said spokesman Reed Dickens jokingly. Kerry has French relatives and speaks the language fluently. Although Bush has a French tailor, Georges de Paris, and until recently enjoyed the culinary delights of White House French pastry chef Roland Mesnier, he has publicly shunned things foreign. [09] WeatherIt will be cloudy this afternoon, with dust settling in the atmosphere. Winds will be light southeasterly to southwesterly, force three, turning moderate force four in some areas, over slight seas. Temperatures will reach 31 degrees inland, 30 in coastal areas and 22 over the mountains. Tonight, it will be mainly fine, with limited visibility, due to the dust. Winds will be light northwesterly to northeasterly, force two to three, over slight seas. Temperatures will drop to 18 degrees inland and in coastal areas and 14 over the mountains. The fire hazard remains high in all forest areas.Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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