Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 02-04-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] Headlines

[02] Mideast

[03] Mideast UN

[04] Crash

[05] Hasikos

[06] Christofias

[07] Vassiliou

[08] Anastasiades

[09] Detonator

[10] Firecrackers

[11] SuperGran

[12] Weather MONDAY 15 APRIL 2002

[01] Headlines

--- The United Nations top human rights body condemned Israel today for "mass killings" of Palestinians and demanded that it end its military offensive in the occupied territories.

--- An Air China passenger aircraft ploughed into a wooded South Korean mountain in heavy rain and fog today, killing many of the 166 people on board. At least 54 survived.

--- Cyprus' Minister of Defence, Socratis Hasikos, said that Turkey's cost will be much higher than its gains if an episode erupted in Cyprus in reaction to Cyprus' accession to the EU prior to a settlement of the political problem.

And

--- Supergran exists... A 90-year old Scottish woman completed the 22nd London Marathon yesterday, one of the oldest ever to finish the gruelling 42 km race.

[02] Mideast

In Beirut, Powell began talks with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and was due to see Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, before visiting Syria, Lebanon's political master and Hizbollah's main backer, later in the day.

Powell ventured past Israeli tanks yesterday to Yasser Arafat's bullet-pocked headquarters in Ramallah in the West Bank for talks with the Palestinian leader and later held more talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

But he came away without an Israeli commitment to comply with US President George Bush's demand for an immediate end to its crushing 17-day-old West Bank offensive.

Palestinians told him no ceasefire could work until Israeli troops leave their cities.

The Lebanese Hizbollah guerrilla group, which helped force Israel to end a 22-year occupation of south Lebanon in May 2000, has stepped up attacks on Israeli posts in an unpopulated corner of the Golan Heights known as Shebaa Farms in recent weeks.

Hizbollah, Syria and Lebanon say the Shebaa Farms area is Lebanese territory. The United Nations, which certified that Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon was complete, says Shebaa Farms is Syrian until such time as Syria formally cedes it to Lebanon.

Israel says rockets and mortar bombs have also been fired into its own territory in attacks not claimed by Hizbollah and blamed by the Lebanese government on Palestinian fighters.

Israel has threatened Syria with retaliation for Hizbollah attacks. Powell warned during a tour of northern Israel on Friday which coincided with a Hizbollah raid that the cross-border attacks could trigger a wider Middle East conflict.

[03] Mideast UN

The annual session of the Geneva-based Commission on Human Rights approved a resolution sponsored by Arab and Muslim states that also blasted Israel for "gross violations" of humanitarian law and affirmed the "legitimate right of Palestinian people to resist."

The 53-state Commission passed the motion by 40 votes to five, with seven states abstaining. It was not immediately clear what happened to the remaining vote.

A number of European Union states backed the resolution, but Britain and Germany voted against, while Italy abstained.

Explaining their vote, the British, German and Italian delegations said that the text was not balanced and did not speak out clearly enough against "terrorist" acts such as suicide bombings by Palestinian militants against Israeli civilian targets.

[04] Crash

The crash came just six weeks before the soccer World Cup finals are co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. As many as 60.000 Chinese are expected to be among tens of thousands of soccer fans from around the world who visit the two countries.

Flight 129, a Boeing 767 belonging to China's national carrier, was flying to Pusan from Beijing carrying 11 crew and 155 passengers, mostly Korean. Many traders use the flights connecting the cities.

The 17-year-old plane crashed and broke into pieces near apartments, apparently as it struggled to land in thick fog at Kimhae airport in Pusan, South Korea's second largest city 325 km southeast of Seoul.

Local television said at least one of the flight recorders had been recovered.

[05] Hasikos

Mr. Hasikos was commenting on threats by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.

The Defence Minister said Cyprus' armed forces were in a position to handle any threat and stressed that Cyprus is building up its defence in cooperation with Greece, within the framework of the Joint Defence Pact between the two countries.

[06] Christofias

Mr. Christofias, who is on an official visit to the United States, attended celebrations for Greece's independence, organised by the Greek community in America.

[07] Vassiliou

He also discussed his forthcoming trip to Brussels, where he will meet the European Commissioner in charge of agriculture.

Speaking after this morning's meeting, Mr. Vassiliou said although the acquis communautaire chapter on agriculture is still pending, much progress had been made.

Tomorrow, Mr. Vassiliou will meet with agricultural organisations.

[08] Anastasiades

Mr. Anastasiades, who flew to London last night, will focus on the Cyprus problem and the island's EU accession course.

Today, Mr. Anastasiades will meet with Conservative EuroMPs and officials of the Foreign Office.

Tonight he will attend a working dinner hosted by the National Cypriot Federation.

[09] Detonator

The teenager was taken by the Makarios Hospital by his parents, where he underwent surgery.

Doctors said he lost three fingers and seriously damaged the rest of his hand.

According to the Police, the detonator was brought home by the youngster's brother, who is serving in the National Guard. The soldier has been arrested.

[10] Firecrackers

The Police have already arrested three youngsters in the Larnaca district, after finding over a thousand firecrackers in their possession.

[11] SuperGran

Jenny Wood Allen, a veteran of 16 London marathons who took up long-distance running aged 71, walked the winding street route unaided to finish in 11 hours and 34 minutes.

"My knees hurt very much and my thighs were suffering, but I was determined to finish," she said at the end of the race.

Allen, from Dundee in Scotland, was accompanied on the route by two friends who chivalrously finished behind her so she would not come in last.

The 54 kg great-grandmother walked the course on the advice of friends, after running in all the 50 other marathons she has entered.

A former sprint cyclist in her youth, she said this would be her last marathon, but not her last race. She said she would concentrate on shorter distances, adding that marathon training took up too much time.

[12] Weather

Winds will be northeasterly to southeasterly, light, three beaufort, and locally moderate, four beaufort, over slight to moderate seas.

Tonight will be cloudy with local light showers and fine dust in the atmosphere. In some areas, mist will form.

Winds will be northerly, light, two to three beaufort, over slight seas.

Temperatures will drop to 15 degrees inland and along the coast, and to 12 over the mountains.

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