Cyprus Mail (Cyprus) back issues from March 2009:
'I would not build road now,' says former minister.
Mar 01, 2009 ... Byline: Elias Hazou THE hundreds of millions of euros earmarked for a motorway linking Paphos to Polis could be better spent on building clinics or upgrading Paphos' transit system, a former minister and one-time advocate of the project has said. "Being a local ...
Petrol prices to come down by mid-week.
Mar 01, 2009 ... Byline: Elias Hazou FUEL prices at the pump should come down by the middle of next week, Commerce Minister Antonis Paschalides said yesterday. Crude oil experienced a slight increase this week, closing at around $45 a barrel. Prices are still more than $100 down from ...
Greens warn against Green Monday mess.
Mar 01, 2009 ... Byline: Anna Hassapi THE Green party has urged the public to respect the environment by not leaving rubbish in the countryside when they celebrate Green Monday tomorrow. As part of their annual 'Green Monday - Green Every Day Campaign' the Greens are focusing on the ...
Jewellery heist in Limassol.
Mar 01, 2009 ... THIEVES got away with jewellery valued at e1/4230,000 in an armed robbery in Limassol yesterday morning According to Limassol Police Chief Andreas Koushoumis, "Three men with masks entered the House of Diamonds jewellery shop in the Limassol tourist area at around 9am yesterday ....
Successful fostering needs unconditional love and care.
Mar 01, 2009 ... Byline: Jacqueline Theodoulou WITH children from all sorts of backgrounds in need of short-term and sometimes long-term care, the demand for more foster families is increasing. There are currently 195 foster families registered with the Social Welfare Services ...
We still don't get the real impact of the EU on our lives.
Mar 01, 2009 ... MEP Panayiotis Demetriou announced this week that he would not run for re-election to the European Parliament in June. Understandably, he cited fatigue as one of the reasons for his decision - an MEP's workload and gruelling travel schedule puts a member of the sedate Cypriot House of ...
The opportunity to love without motives.
Mar 01, 2009 ... Byline: Jacqueline Theodoulou Maro Christou, 45, and her husband fostered 14-year-old Xenia 12 years ago and even though they haven't fostered any other children since, their success story was too heart-warming to overlook. The Christou family took Xenia (not their ...
Time to enjoy the garden.
Mar 01, 2009 ... Byline: Patricia Jordan Gardening with Patricia Jordan With spring in the air your garden could well be a riot of colour at the moment WITH LENGTHENING days and more sunshine, this is the time of year when you can really enjoy gardening. The soil is ...
Two injured in Nicosia brawl.
Mar 01, 2009 ... TWO PEOPLE were arrested yesterday after a brawl at Nicosia's Eleftheria Square. According to police, two men were harassing passing motorists when at one point, they got into an argument with a man on foot, and a punch up followed. A nearby taxi driver who saw the incident ...
Surviving the munch crunch.
Mar 01, 2009 ... Byline: Jill Campbell Mackay MARCH is usually the cruellest month for Paphos restaurateurs, a time when cash flow is at its lowest. This year it's even worse with regular patrons from the British expat community staying home, conserving their euros after losing 23 per cent plus ...
Let's celebrate our first year with comrade mukhtar at the helm.
Mar 01, 2009 ... Byline: Tales from the Coffeeshop by Patroclos TODAY we are celebrating the first anniversary of the People's Republic of Kyproulla which was established when Comrade Christofias and his Bolsheviks swept to power, triumphantly defeating the forces of reaction in presidential ...
A day in the snow? Never on a Sunday.
Mar 01, 2009 ... Byline: Jacqueline Theodoulou There aren't many things that make me spring out of bed early on a Sunday morning. But that's just what I did last weekend. The reason? An eagerly awaited day trip to the Troodos Mountains to mess around in the snow with fiancE[umlaut] and friends. ...
Top secret talks document leaked.
Mar 01, 2009 ... Byline: Elias Hazou IT WAS dE[umlaut]jEa vu all over again after a classified document on the Cyprus talks was leaked to the press less than 24 hours after it was handed to politicians. The document, circulated to the National Council at the body's meeting on Friday, ...
One dead and one injured in road accident.
Mar 01, 2009 ... A 68-YEAR-OLD man was killed and a 45-year-old man is in the hospital following an accident that occurred just outside the village of Kaliana on Friday night A car driven by Andreas Tryfonos, 68, from Temvria collided with 45--year-old Panayiotis Savva's vehicle. Tryfonos was ...
New English school aims to stem flow south of Turkish Cypriot students.
Mar 01, 2009 ... Byline: Simon Bahceli WHEN crossings between the north and south of the island opened in 2003, the parents of many high-attaining Turkish Cypriot students raced to enroll their children at Nicosia's renowned English School on the Greek Cypriot side. For three decades, the ...
Car bomb at Larnaca port.
Mar 01, 2009 ... A CAR explosion occurred on Friday night near the Larnaca port According to police, a makeshift explosive device was placed under pick-up truck that was parked outside a nightclub, near the port. Larnaca police spokesman Christos Andreou said the car, belonging to an ...
Teens in custody on suspicion of blackmailing girl into sex.
Mar 01, 2009 ... TWO TEENAGE boys were yesterday arrested and remanded in custody for four days on suspicion of raping a female classmate. The police arrested the two teens who are facing charges of rape, conspiracy to commit a crime and sexual exploitation of a minor. The pair is denying all ...
Limnitis residents promise new measures after man dies.
Mar 04, 2009 ... RESIDENTS in the buffer-zone villages near Limnitis in the Paphos district said yesterday they were ready to take dynamic measures after a 70-year-old from Kato Pyrgos died on Sunday due to a delay in transferring him to hospital. The villagers say his life could have been saved ...
Circuses should be banned, says Environment Commissioner.
Mar 04, 2009 ... Byline: Anna Hassapi THE COMMISSIONER for the Environment Charalambos Theopemptou called the state to ban circus shows that use animals from Cyprus. Citing issues including the mistreatment circus animals as well as health and safety problems, Theopemptou asked the ...
Discrimination in university degrees recognition, House hears.
Mar 04, 2009 ... Byline: Jacqueline Theodoulou STUDENTS and spokesmen for Cyprus' private universities yesterday protested what they called the "unequal treatment" they receive by KYSATS, the body in charge of recognising university degrees. During a House Education Committee sitting ...
Spending spree to create jobs.
Mar 04, 2009 ... Byline: Elias Hazou THE GOVERNMENT announced yesterday the imminent launch of a public projects spree aimed at creating jobs in the construction sector and at warding off an anticipated slump. "We are redoubling our efforts to speed up development projectsC*and the ...
Cyprus and Iran sign investment agreement.
Mar 04, 2009 ... IRAN and Cyprus yesterday signed a mutual protection and promotion of investments agreement. The signing took place in Tehran where Commerce Minister Antonis Paschalides and a group of delegates were on an official visit to promote business interests between the two countries. ...
BANKS are not likely to be in a position to reduce interest rates on loans any time soon.
Mar 04, 2009 ... Byline: Alexia Saoulli BANKS are not likely to be in a position to reduce interest rates on loans any time soon, a senior bank official said yesterday. "It is still too early for banks to significantly reduce interest rates on loans," said the official, who wished to ...
Turkish Cypriot side brings casinos under tighter control.
Mar 04, 2009 ... Byline: Simon Bahceli A NEW gaming law aimed at bringing casinos in the north -- currently believed to be magnets for money launderers - under tighter financial control, has been approved by the Turkish Cypriot side. The move came after weeks of wrangling among ...
New front opens in school history battle.
Mar 04, 2009 ... Byline: Stefanos Evripidou THE BATTLE over the hearts and minds of children continued unabated over the weekend, with Education Minister Andreas Demetriou accusing EDEK deputy Georgios Varnavas of lies, misinformation and shameless populism. EDEK leader Yiannakis ...
No grace period for non-payment of road tax.
Mar 04, 2009 ... Byline: Elias Hazou OLD HABITS die hard: some 20 per cent of motorists failed to pay their road tax this year, despite repeated calls to the public not to leave it to the last moment. The high default rate meanwhile has invited a re-think of the scheme, which some ...
Jewellery shop robbed 100m from police station.
Mar 04, 2009 ... Byline: Anna Hassapi BURGLARS stole jewellery worth e1/4100,000 from a Yermayoyia shop only a 100 metres from a police station on Saturday. The thieves broke into the Isabella Jeweller's in Limassol's Yermasoyia tourist area on Saturday night, only hours after ...
It's time to put an end to the sound bites.
Mar 04, 2009 ... THE LATEST spat over education reform has taken the public debate to dizzying new heights which any self-respecting modern state would do its best to disown. EDEK deputy Georgios Varnavas got the ball rolling again after a short lull in activities, calling on the President to ...
Onset of an unjust society, says opposition.
Mar 04, 2009 ... Byline: Jacqueline Theodoulou DISY yesterday said the government had failed to create the 'State of Justice' it had promised before President Demetris Christofias' election. The opposition party's vice president Lefteris Christoforou said "the government under the ...
Thousands sign EU petition against long distance transport of horses for slaughter.
Mar 04, 2009 ... Byline: Anna Hassapi AN ANIMAL rights groups 'Handle with Care' under the umbrella of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) presented a petition to EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou to end the unnecessary suffering of animals, particularly horses, ...
Apply early for US visa.
Mar 04, 2009 ... THE U.S. Embassy yesterday strongly advised Cypriot citizens and residents planning to visit the United States this summer to apply early for their travel visas so as to avoid any travel problems later on. "During the busy summer season, the wait time for visa appointments may ...
Pensioner's mystery wounds being investigated.
Mar 04, 2009 ... LARNACA CID is investigating a possible case of attempted murder against a 68-year-old man even though doctors of the Nicosia General Hospital have made it clear that Christos Stylianou Socratous was not wounded by a bullet or any other weapon. The strange case occurred at ...
Women's march for truth and awareness.
Mar 04, 2009 ... Byline: Stefanos Evripidou THE PLATFORM of island-wide teachers, 'United Cyprus', is organising a Bicommunal March for Truth and Hope this Saturday, raising awareness on the issues of historical truth, missing persons and women's role in the struggle for peace. ...
Cyprus told to act over climate change.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Stefanos Evripidou "CYPRUS NEEDS to get its act together on climate change" was the basic message that came out of an EU-organised energy conference, the conclusions of which were announced yesterday by the EU ambassador in Cyprus. Head of the EU ...
Vote today to pass urgent social security fund reforms.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Elias Hazou A CLIFFHANGER vote in parliament today will decide the fate of a government bill aimed at overhauling the social security fund (SSF). The government-sponsored plan envisages raising employees' contributions to keep the fund afloat until at least ...
Sri Lanka after the war.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Gwynne Dyer THE GREATEST mistakes are made on the morrow of the greatest victories. Sri Lanka is now approaching a decisive victory in its 26-year war against Tamil separatism, and it is about to make a very big mistake. "While separatist terrorism must be ...
State to monitor pension fund management.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Marianna Pissa THE GOVERNMENT will continue monitoring the impact of the financial crisis on social security and pension plans Labour Minister Soteroulla Charalambous has said. Charalambous said that the dominant challenge for the pension system in Cyprus is ...
State supports visit proposed visit to Turkey by DISY leader.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Elias Hazou THE PRESIDENT "has no problem" sending any political leader abroad as an emissary for Cyprus, including DISY boss Nikos Anastassiades, the government said yesterday. Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanos was commenting on recent remarks by ...
Officer: no orders were given to shoot Solomou.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Simon Bahceli A RETIRED Turkish Cypriot army officer and former politician yesterday broke his silence to hit back at accusations that he gave the order to shoot and kill Solomos Solomou as he tried to pull down a 'TRNC' flag at the Dherynia crossing in 1996. ...
Cyprus wines go head-to-head in annual competition.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Anna Hassapi The fourth annual Cyprus Wine Competition will take place in Limassol at the Grand Resort Hotel from March 11-14. The competition aims to provide a forum for the European and international recognition of Cypriot wine, challenging local producers to improve ...
EDEK announces Euro candidates.
Mar 05, 2009 ... EDEK announced its candidates for the June 2009 Euroelections at a Nicosia District conference last night, seeking to end a "five-year absence from the European Parliament". They are Dimitris Komodromos, Kyriacos Mavronicolas, Dimitris Papadakis, Makis ...
Boat owners blockade Larnaca port over money woes.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Stefanos Evripidou COMMERCIAL BOAT owners began an "indefinite" blockade of Larnaca port yesterday, threatening to cut off the fuel supply to the island if their demands were not met. Around eight vessels owned by members of the Cyprus Commercial ...
When the rainbow descended on Limassol.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Vandana Goyal IT IS like the heavens opened and instead of water, rained colour on the city. It is like a painter went berserk and made big, bold rainbow brush strokes wherever he could. It is like a fairy godmother came with a magic wand and turned everyone ...
UBP lead Turkish Cypriot polls.
Mar 05, 2009 ... AN OPINION poll carried out by pollster KADEM for Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris has put the right-wing National Unity Party (UBP) clearly in the lead in the race for the coming general elections in the north on April 19, predicting it would win 43.3 per cent of the vote. The ruling ...
Electricity prices come down 7.5 per cent.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Charles Charalambous ELECTRICITY will be 7.5 per cent cheaper in March compared to February, due to the fall in world oil prices, Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) Chairman Harris Thrassou announced yesterday. The latest reduction means that the price of ...
Dismay at BFBS downgrading.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Nathan Morley THE POP model that has replaced the easy-listening BFBS 2 service has been met with outrage from many listeners in both the forces and local community. As part of a major cost-cutting drive, programmes such as 'The Archers', 'The News Quiz' and ...
CY to shut Larnaca office.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Charles Charalambous CYPRUS Airways (CY) has decided to close its customer service office in the centre of Larnaca and transfer it to Larnaca Airport from April 1, the House Commerce Committee heard yesterday. CY representatives emphasised to the Committee ...
Parking meter charges go up in Nicosia.
Mar 05, 2009 ... NICOSIA Municipality has raised its parking fees by two-thirds, from 30 to 50 cents per half-hour and from 50 cents to e1/41 per hour. The changes officially came into effect on 1 March, and both kerbside meters and those in municipal car-parks across Nicosia have been updated ...
Court frees drugs suspect on lack of evidence.
Mar 05, 2009 ... Byline: Anna Hassapi A DISTRICT Court yesterday refused to issue a remand order against a 38-year-old suspect in a case involving 5.8kg of cannabis confiscated by Limassol Drug Prevention Unit (YKAN). Meanwhile, a second suspect in the same case is wanted and police suspect he ...
Over anxious son dashes parents hopes of quiet.
Mar 06, 2009 ... AN elderly couple's second honeymoon inadvertently shot to national fame yesterday after the two soul-mates were mistakenly reported as missing. The husband and wife, aged 72 and 69, had left their house on Tuesday and headed out to a hotel in Agros for some much-needed R&R. ...
Fatal Accident.
Mar 06, 2009 ... A 24-year-old man was killed late Wednesday after being hit by a drunk driver as he walked along a Limassol street. The accident happened at 11.30pm on Wednesday when the car driven by a 45-year-old man from Limassol went off the road, hitting the pedestrian. The 24-year-old was ...
Fuel prices still artificially high.
Mar 06, 2009 ... Byline: Elias Hazou OIL IMPORTERS are keeping fuel prices artificially high, a senior government official insisted yesterday, despite the fact pump prices are set to drop over the next couple of days. Two companies have already cut euro diesel by about 1.6 cents a ...
Cyprus lagging in gender pay stakes.
Mar 06, 2009 ... Byline: Claudia Konyalian CYPRUS IS among 14 European Union member states that have a gender pay gap above the estimated 17.4 per cent EU average, according to the latest Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey comparing 2006 with 2007. The 2007 data shows that there ...
Lobby group highlights need for breast cancer centre.
Mar 06, 2009 ... Byline: Jacqueline Theodoulou THE NEED for a Breast Cancer Centre was has again been highlighted by lobby group Europa Donna Cyprus, who sent a plea to the Health Ministry to speed up proceedings. "The creation of a specialised Breast Cancer Centre in Cyprus is not ...
Teacher struck by 12-year-old.
Mar 06, 2009 ... TEACHERS were up in arms after a 12-year-old Nicosia student struck his teacher on the head and in the face, causing her nose to bleed. The incident occurred at the Ayios Vasiliou Gymnasium in Strovolos on Wednesday morning during first period. According to reports ...
President should scrap the National Council.
Mar 06, 2009 ... LAST Saturday, Simerini published large chunks of a 35-page, classified, Cyprus talks document which had been given to the members of the National Council. The document listed the points of convergence and disagreement on issues of a reunited state covering governance and power-sharing ....
Two remanded for credit card fraud.
Mar 06, 2009 ... Byline: Anna Hassapi TWO RUSSIAN men aged 29 and 26 have been remanded, and another two suspects are wanted, for using fake credit cards to buy merchandise worth e1/420,000 from shops in Limassol and Nicosia, police said yesterday. The two men, and a 33-year-old ...
Battle to the end on social security bill.
Mar 06, 2009 ... Byline: Elias Hazou ONLY intense give and take at parliament yesterday ensured enough votes to pass the long-awaited overhaul of the Social Security Fund to address the danger to pensions from an ever-increasing ageing population. A study by the Labour Ministry had ...
Drug baron's son arrested in cannabis coal case.
Mar 06, 2009 ... Byline: Alexia Saoulli THE 32-YEAR-OLD son of convicted drug baron Lucas Siderenou was yesterday remanded custody for five days after he was fingered by a suspected Egyptian drug smuggler as his accomplice. Ramatan Mohammed Ahmed, 38, was arrested last month for ...
No clear access to public documents.
Mar 06, 2009 ... Byline: Stefanos Evripidou PARLIAMENT and members of the public have no clear access to public documents, even when those relate to their person, concluded the House Institutions Committee yesterday. Committee chairman, Riccos Erotocritou, said this view was ...
Registering for euro elections.
Mar 06, 2009 ... THE MINISTRY of the Interior has sent out personal letters to 13,000 young Cypriots ahead of the June 6 European Parliamentary (EP) elections, Permanent Secretary Lazaros Savvides said yesterday. Another 3.400 letters have been sent to non-Cypriot EU citizens who live in Cyprus and would ...
Harsher penaltiesfor sex offenders.
Mar 06, 2009 ... Byline: Elias Hazou THE HOUSE Legal Affairs Committee is drafting a get-tough-on-sex-crimes bill which, among other things, seeks to broaden the interpretation of rape where minors are concerned. Under the proposal, a number of sex-related offenses will be ...
Preparations underway for EU presidency.
Mar 06, 2009 ... Byline: Anna Hassapi PREPARATIONS are underway for 2012 when Cyprus assumes the EU's six-month rotating presidency with the appointment of a coordinator whose name will be officially announced soon. The decision to appoint such a coordinator was taken by the Council ...
Nicosia arson attack.
Mar 06, 2009 ... NICOSIA CID is investigating an arson attack on the car belonging to Kleitos Panteli, brother of Andreas Panteli, the former chairman of Anorthosis football club. Around 2am yesterday, perpetrators set fire to a BMW parked at Panteli's house in Lakatamia. They placed a mat ...
Boat owners suspend blockade.
Mar 06, 2009 ... Byline: Anna Hassapi Commercial boat owners have agreed to suspend measures for the time being, following a blockade of Larnaca port on Wednesday. The Cyprus Commercial Entertainment Vessels Association accepted an invitation by the Minister of Communications and ...