Ocili News

• Story Highlights
• Turkish Cypriot leader welcomes election of Greek Cypriot president
• Demetris Christofias wins election, extends “hand of friendship” to Turkish Cypriots
• Strategic island divided for decades, Nicosia is Europe’s last divided capital
• Reunification would end obstacle to Turkey’s joining EU, remove tension with Greece

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The decades-long division of Cyprus could be resolved by the end of the year, the leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots said Monday, a day after Greek Cypriots elected a new president. Continue reading »

Tags: CNN, Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, elections, Greek, president, Turkish

EU foreign ministers met for what were said to be intense talks

European Union foreign ministers have failed to forge a joint position on Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia. While France confirmed that it would recognise independence, as expected, several member states led by Spain made clear their legal concerns.

US President George W Bush said Kosovo’s people were “independent” but stopped short of formal recognition.

Russia has backed Serbia in its refusal to recognise Kosovo’s secession.

About 10,000 students protested in Belgrade on Monday, and thousands of the city’s taxi-drivers went on strike in protest at the declaration of independence, while thousands of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo’s enclaves also rallied.

See a map of Kosovo’s ethnic breakdown

On Sunday, Kosovo’s majority ethnic Albanians celebrated the declaration with fireworks late into the night. Continue reading »

Tags: Albanians, EU, independence, Kosovo, secession, Serbia, Serbs, UN

Athens’ streets looked virtually deserted on Monday

Heavy snowfall has left at least 150 villages cut off in Greece and severely disrupted flights to and from Athens. Many of the affected villages faced power outages, the Greek civil protection authority said.

Dozens of international and domestic flights to and from Athens’ airport were cancelled, as up to 15cm (six inches) of snow blanketed the capital.

Schools in the city have been closed, and the authorities are urging people to stay indoors.

Continue reading »

Tags: Athens, climate, cold, flights, Greece, snow

Mr Rehn says the voice of the Serbian people is not being heard

The EU enlargement commissioner has said a political deal due to be signed with Serbia has been postponed because of a political dispute in Belgrade. Olli Rehn spoke of “the obstruction by certain politicians”, in a clear reference to PM Vojislav Kostunica.

And Serbian President Boris Tadic later complained that Mr Kostunica had blocked a cabinet meeting on the issue.

Mr Kostunica has denounced the accord as a trick which will help pave the way for independence in Kosovo.

Continue reading »

Tags: agreement, BBC, Boris Tadic, election, EU, president, Serbia, Vojislav Kostunica

It is not yet clear where the crippled ship will go

Croatian emergency workers have managed to attach tow lines to a blazing Turkish cargo ship laden with heavy fuel oil in the Adriatic Sea. Firefighters worked through the night to contain the blaze, which broke out on Wednesday on the Und Adriyatik.

Croatian officials say they have prevented an environmental disaster.

At one point the vessel, carrying 850 tonnes of fuel oil, veered to within 8km (five miles) of the Brijuni Islands national park.

All of the ship’s 22 crew and nine passengers were evacuated.

A fire brigade spokesman said two tugboats spent Wednesday night dousing the scorching hull with water to bring down the temperature. Floating barrages have been placed around the ship, but as yet no oil has leaked.

The vessel caught fire off the northern Adriatic resort of Rovinj. It was sailing from Istanbul to the Italian port of Trieste

Tags: Adriatic, BBC, cargo, Croatia, fire, Istanbul, Italy, Rovinj, ship, Trieste, Turkey