Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 04-07-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] KENNEDY CONTACTS

[03] IACOVOU BASES

[04] STRAW MOLIVIATIS

[05] IRAQ

[06] RUSSIA EXPLOSIONS

[07] ROMANIA ADOPTIONS

[08] ROMANIA ADOPTIONS

[09] BOY CRITICAL

[10] WEATHER THURSDAY 22 JULY 2004

[01] HEADLINES

--The government believes that the stirring up of the British bases issue at this moment would not help Cyprus and its cause, said Foreign Minister George Iacovou.

--Diplomats in Baghdad battled today to win the release of three captured Indians, three Kenyans and an Egyptian after their kidnappers threatened to behead them one by one unless their employer pulled out of Iraq.

And

--At least eight people were hurt today in two separate blasts at a base of OMON special police near Russia's rebel region of Chechnya.

[02] KENNEDY CONTACTS

Ms. Kennedy will be received by Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos and then will hold talks with political leaders. She will also meet on Saturday so called prime minister Mehmet Ali Talat in the turkish occupied north ofm the island.

This afternoon, Ms. Kennedy will meet Democratic Rally leader Nicos Anastasiades.

Foreign Minister George Iacovou pointed out that Ms. Kennedy repeated that the US policy on Cyprus is fully in line with the UN Secretary-General's report.

The US, he added, believe that no changes can be made and if any could be made, they could be done on a Security Council level.

[03] IACOVOU BASES

In statements to CyBC, Mr, Iacovou said that such action would bring Cyprus to a confrontation with the british government at a time when relations are not very good. He said the government believes that no more fronts need to be opened.

At the same time he said the discussion of the issue before the House will not create any problems.

[04] STRAW MOLIVIATIS

Mr. Moliviatis is in London at Mr. Straw's invitation.

In statements earlier, Mr. Moliviatis had said that no initiative is expected on the Cyprus priblem in the next three months because it is a time for reflection for all those involved in the Cyprus problem.

[05] IRAQ

The capture of the six contract workers, who were shown guarded by masked gunmen yesterday in video footage sent to Arabic satellite channel Al Arabiya, sparked a new hostage crisis just a day after guerrillas released a Filipino driver following Manila's capitulation to their demands.

"If they carry out their threat it would be a serious development. We condemn this incident," Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh said in Islamabad, where he is attending a conference.

Indian officials said New Delhi was doing all it could to secure the release of the three Indians, all truck drivers.

The guerrillas have also demanded that India, Kenya and Egypt withdraw their citizens from Iraq. None of the countries are part of the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq but many of their nationals work as drivers and contractors.

Kenyan Foreign Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere said no Kenyans were on official business in Iraq.

An Egyptian diplomatic source confirmed that an Egyptian truck driver named Mohammed Ali had been taken hostage.

In the latest violence to hit Iraq, the U.S. military said in a statement that marines killed 25 guerrillas, wounded 17 and captured 25 during several hours of fighting in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi yesterday.

The statement, issued today, said 13 marines and one soldier were wounded in the clashes but none of the injuries were life-threatening.

[06] RUSSIA EXPLOSIONS

Russian news agency Interfax, quoting local police, said the first explosion, caused by a bomb, occurred outside the OMON base in Makhachkala in Dagestan, neighbouring Chechnya.

The agency said the blast occurred as a bus carrying OMON police officers arrived at the base. One of the injured was said to be a woman who was in a serious condition, but the others had only slight wounds.

An hour later, a second explosion took place about 50 metres from the base, Interfax said. No-one was injured in this explosion, according to preliminary information.

[07] ROMANIA ADOPTIONS

Last month Romania passed a law banning foreign adoption in a move that quelled EU concerns over corrupt bidding for babies but angered the United States and other Western countries.

Mr. Nastase's statement, broadcast by a private Romanian TV station, was made at a news conference in Washington after he met President George Bush during a visit to the United States.

He said he had assured the president that for such special situations Romania will draft bills for each case that will go to parliament for approval, adding that there were children with serious medical problems whose treatment was very expensive.

The new law says children can be adopted abroad only by their grandparents and only after attempts to keep them in their families or place them with another Romanian family fail. It cements a moratorium placed on foreign adoptions in 2001 after pressure from the EU which Romania hopes to join in 2007.

Romania passed the moratorium 15 years after the collapse of communism in the Balkan state sent foreigners rushing to adopt from delapidated orphanages crammed with some 100,000 children.

[08] ROMANIA ADOPTIONS

Last month Romania passed a law banning foreign adoption in a move that quelled EU concerns over corrupt bidding for babies but angered the United States and other Western countries.

Mr. Nastase's statement, broadcast by a private Romanian TV station, was made at a news conference in Washington after he met President George Bush during a visit to the United States.

He said he had assured the president that for such special situations Romania will draft bills for each case that will go to parliament for approval, adding that there were children with serious medical problems whose treatment was very expensive.

The new law says children can be adopted abroad only by their grandparents and only after attempts to keep them in their families or place them with another Romanian family fail. It cements a moratorium placed on foreign adoptions in 2001 after pressure from the EU which Romania hopes to join in 2007.

Romania passed the moratorium 15 years after the collapse of communism in the Balkan state sent foreigners rushing to adopt from delapidated orphanages crammed with some 100,000 children.

[09] BOY CRITICAL

According to police, a relative of Andeas Pirikis, said the boy was riding his bike when under unknown circumstances it hit the side of the bridge and fell into the ditch,

He was transferred from Limassol to Nicosia General Hospital because of the seriousness of his condition.

[10] WEATHER

Winds will be south-westerly to north-westerly light to moderate, three to four beaufort and strong on the south coast, five beaufort. The sea will be moderate.

Tonight the weather will be clear with south-westerly to north-westerly light winds, three to four beaufort, becoming light, two to three beaufort. The sea will be calm to slight. Temperatures will fall to 23 degrees inland, around 21 C on the coasts and 18 over the mountains.

Tomorrow the weather will be mainly clear but winds will be variable light, two to three beaufort turning to light to moderate sea breezes. The sea will be slight. Temperatures will rise to 38 C inland, around 34 C on the south coast and around 30 on the west and mountains. Clear conditions will continue over the weekend and Monday but there will be a small temperature increase as of Monday.

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