Greek Cypriot President Archbishop Makarios issued an ultimatum to Turkey

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The United Nations has brokered another ceasefire in Cyprus, defusing the growing crisis between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and heading off the threat of invasion by Turkey.

Fighting on the island has been steadilyescalatingin recent days.

The Greek Cypriot government said Turkish jets had dropped 750lbs (340 kg) of bombs and napalm on their strongholds in north-west Cyprus.

"The whole area is on fire," said a spokesman for the Greek Cypriot government.

"We cannot estimate casualties but there must be hundreds. Whole villages have been wiped out."

They also accused the Turkish government of landing troops on the north-west coast of the island.

The Greek Cypriot President, Archbishop Makarios, issued anultimatumto Turkey, threatening to attack every Turkish Cypriot village in Cyprus if the air raids were not stopped.

The raids also brought concern from the Greek government in Athens, which has so far stayed out of the conflict.

The Greek Prime Minister, Andreas Papandreou, called theairraids"crucial", and said, "This is a purely aggressive action which Greece cannot tolerate."

Later in the day, seven Greek Air Force fighters flew over south Cyprus, including the capital, Nicosia, as a show of force.

The air raids were in response to vicious fighting which has been raging for the last three days around the Turkish Cypriot village of Kokkina.

A UN spokesman said that Turkish Cypriots had lost all villages in the area apart from Kokkina to the Greek Cypriots.

Now, he said, there were 200 women and children still in Kokkina and refusing to be moved to safety by the UN.

The UN sent 7,000 troops to Cyprus in March to try to keep the peace between the two sides, after an earlier ceasefire, negotiated in February, broke down.

The decision by the Turkish government to get involved militarily has caused internationalconsternation.

The Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, cut short his holiday in Scotland to return to London and deal with the crisis. He said during his train journey home that the situation was "very serious".

The United Nations Security council passed an Anglo-American resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, and it is thought that this, as well as strong diplomatic pressure on Turkey to stop the air raids, brought about today's ceasefire agreement. 

The Hamiltons said the accusations were "monstrous"

The couple have been released "pending further investigations" following five hours of questioning at Barkingside police station in Essex.

Speaking to the press after their release the Hamiltons called the allegations a "monstrous fabrication".

The Hamiltons'solicitor, Michael Coleman, said they had been questioned over accusations they had carried outindecentacts on a woman who was being raped in Ilford in May.

The Hamiltons had co-operated fully with the police and given details about their whereabouts on the night of the alleged offences, Mr Coleman added.

Neil Hamilton, 52, said: "There is no truth whatsoever in the allegations that have been made against me and my wife."

Christine Hamilton described the experience as "ghastly and humiliating" and said she did not expect charges to be brought.

"The whole thing is just nonsenseon stilts," she said.

Mr and Mrs Hamilton condemned the alleged involvement in the affair of public relations consultant Max Clifford.

"The whole thing is a total fabrication and a lie and the fact that Max Clifford's name has been put to us by the police is no surprise whatsoever," said Mrs Hamilton.

The couple appeared on the steps of Barkingside police station with TV presenter Louis Theroux, who is making a programme about them.

The former MP was recently declared bankrupt after he lost a libel action against Harrods owner Mohammed Al Fayed over the so-called "cash for questions" affair.

He lost his seat in the 1997 general election to former BBC correspondent Martin Bell who ran against him on an anti-corruption ticket.

escalate: increase in extent or intensity（逐步升級）

ultimatum: a final peremptory demand （最后通牒）

air raid: an attack by armed planes on a surface target;air attack（空襲）

consternation: fear resulting from the awareness of danger（恐怖；恐慌）

solicitor: a British lawyer who gives legal advice and prepares legal documents（律師）

indecent: offending against sexual mores in conduct or appearance（下流的；猥褻的）

on stilts: feeling insecure（踩高蹺，這里指“不可靠”的意思）