Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 00-05-03

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Wednesday, May 3, 2000

CONTENTS

[01] Shares up after Easter break

[02] What should you call the former King of Greece?

[03] Foreign envoys descend on Cyprus

[04] Easter binge puts hundreds in hospital

[05] Almost 2,000 cross for Apostolos Andreas pilgrimage

[06] Sinbad’s the man to host Miss Universe

[07] Police ‘very happy’ with Easter traffic

[08] Firework injuries down on last year

[09] ‘Private dam will deprive us of water’

[10] Drunken despair drove debtor to burn his car

[11] National Guard chief replaced

[12] Papandreou 'hopeful' after Cem meeting

[01] Shares up after Easter break

SHARE prices jumped almost one per cent yesterday after the Easter hiatus, with turnover unexpectedly high, defying predictions that most investors were taking a backseat for the holiday.

The bourse's benchmark index rose 0.8 per cent on a turnover of £42.5 million, considerably higher than last Thursday, which touched on £31.7 million.

"The stock market is not what it used to be. Investors were still in touch on their portable phones from their holiday getaways," one floor trader said.

The market moved in close range, hovering between a high of 555.61 and a low of 551.66 but with stronger oscillations in individual sectors. There were 8,680 deals.

Companies in the ‘other’ category, which includes dot-com firm Globalsoft, financial services firm Severis and Athienitis and Louis Cruise Lines, climbed some 4.7 per cent,leading gainers on the market. Globalsoft, which made its debut last week, closed at a high of £6.42 and was the second most active stock of the day with 1.08 million shares changing hands. It added 60 cents on its last trade and was the highest net gainer on the market.

Cyventure Capital and Severis and Athienitis Financial Services also made considerable gains, albeit on notably low turnovers.

Severis closed up 21 cents to £4.44 while Cyventure rose 27 cents to £3.55.

Louis, which remained the most actively traded stock with a turnover of4.3 million shares, added nine cents to a last trade of £2.21.

Demetra, which hit the market at an opening of £1.16 during Thursday's debut,was less in demand with about half a million shares traded compared to almost two million last week. It retreated two cents to £1.13.

Floor traders said there was a considerable amount of switching by investors into smaller capitalised stocks, away from the safe haven of blue- chips which are considered more viable for longer-term investment rather than for speculative buys.

"The market appears to be gaining a strong support level of around 550 points. Investors are not bullish in particular but there is a general euphoria around, which is encouraging more of them to come forward," the trader said.

With the exception of the other category, the rest of the market ended flat. Banks were off 0.4 per cent on a mixed performance with a 11 cent drop for Bank of Cyprus to £8.39, a five cent rise for Laiki to £13.51 and a three cent gain for Hellenic Bank to £3.10.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 2000

Wednesday, May 3, 2000

[02] What should you call the former King of Greece?

Education Minister Ouranios Ioannides has not yet decided whether to attend the official opening of the International Sailing Federation conference where former King Constantine will be present.

An Olympic medallist in sailing, Constantine has come to Cyprus in his capacity as president of the Federation.

The conference is being hosted by the Cyprus Sailing Federation with the co- operation of the Cyprus Sports Organisation (KOA).

The furore over the ex-monarch's visit began shortly after his arrival on Sunday when Archimandrite Lazaros Georgiou addressed him as ‘Your Majesty’.

Constantine had been attending a service at the Ayios Lazaros church in Larnaca at the invitation of Archimandrite Georgiou.

Yesterday, Archbishop Chrysostomos also addressed Constantine as ‘Your Majesty’ during a visit to the tomb of Archbishop Makarios at Kykkos Monastery.

Commenting on the furore resulting from his statements yesterday, Archimandrite Georgiou said his action had been an act of courtesy."

"I am saddened that I see that in this place we have lost dignity and courtesy," he said, adding that Constantine had never actually ruled Greece. "This person is harmless, has not hurt anyone, he was not a dictator in Greece."

The archimandrite said such titles lasted a lifetime and could not be lost when the specific service ended, "If we go to the centre of Nicosia today and shout `Mr President' 30 people will come running, so someone who was king can keep the title of `Your Majesty’."

The Education Minister said yesterday the government had taken a political decision that no official would receive the former king, and that he had not yet decided whether to attend the conference's opening.

"What I should say first is that the state is not participating in this whole process but there has been an invitation from KOA for the opening. It is an issue which I will discuss today."

© Copyright Cyprus Mail

Wednesday, May 3, 2000

[03] Foreign envoys descend on Cyprus

On behalf of the EU, currently under Portuguese presidency, Gama's first appointment was at Larnaca airport with the island’s chief accession negotiator George Vassiliou.

He then met his Cypriot counterpart Yiannakis Cassoulides at the Foreign Ministry in Nicosia.

Last night he visited Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash in occupied Nicosia.

This morning he will be received by President Glafcos Clerides before meeting House President Spyros Kyprianou.

Gama will return to the Foreign Ministry for further talks, before flying back to Lisbon later this afternoon.

Hot on his heels, British envoy for Cyprus Sir David Hannay will begin a five-day visit of the island tomorrow, just three weeks ahead of the third round of UN-led proximity talks in New York.

Hannay's trip is designed to acquaint him fully with the views of the two parties to enable him to support the UN representative in managing the New York talks.

Tomorrow he will meet Cassoulides and on Friday he will be received by President Clerides before going north to meet Rauf Denktash.

On Sunday he is expected to meet UN Special Adviser for Cyprus, Alvaro De Soto, who is due to arrive on the island that day.

Hannay leaves for Athens on Monday

© Copyright Cyprus Mail

Wednesday, May 3, 2000

[04] Easter binge puts hundreds in hospital

Strict fasting for 40 days, followed by sudden, excessive eating of heavy food, such as eggs, pastry and meat, caused indigestion, heart burn, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Of the 1,200 people to pass through casualty at the Nicosia General hospital from Saturday to Monday, director Costas Antoniades said about 25 per cent suffered from dietary related problems.

"In rare cases, this sort of eating can cause colic in the gall bladder, or even in more serious cases, pancreatitis", he told the Cyprus Mail. Fortunately none of this weekend's cases was serious.

The majority of binge sufferers were middle-aged or elderly.

Hospitals in Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos reported far fewer cases of stomach complaints than Nicosia.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail

Wednesday, May 3, 2000

[05] Almost 2,000 cross for Apostolos Andreas pilgrimage

Almost 2,000 pilgrims crossed the Ledra Palace checkpoint early yesterday morning to board 52 buses, which ferried them on the three-hour journey to the monastery, which lies on the easternmost tip of the island.

"I live in England and I came to Cyprus specifically to go and visit Apostolos Andreas monastery," one elderly woman said as she waited to cross the Green Line yesterday morning. "I hope that I will be able to see my village, Efta Komi, even from a distance. I will never stop hoping... There is no solution other than for everyone to be able to go back to their homes."

Another woman, crossing over with her handicapped child, said she was going to Apostolos Andreas to make an offering in the hope her child might get well and start walking again.

The Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Takis Christopoulos, said most of the pilgrims were the sick and the elderly, as well as many children and overseas Cypriots.

Each pilgrim paid $10 for the bus trip, on which they were accompanied by UN personnel.

The pilgrims returned in the early evening.

Christopoulos said such pilgrimages would continue as demand was very high.

One man who had never been to the occupied areas, spoke of his mixed feelings as he prepared to cross the Green Line: "I feel happy that I am going to see the northern part of my country, but on the other hand I feel weird because I will be a stranger in my own country."

Pilgrimages to Apostolos Andreas monastery have become a regular fixture in recent years, as have Turkish Cypriot visits to the Hala Sultan Tekke in Larnaca.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail

Wednesday, May 3, 2000

[06] Sinbad’s the man to host Miss Universe

The disclosure came after weeks of speculation as to which international celebrity would front the pageant.

Sinbad, star of the sitcom The Sinbad Show, is two-times winner of a NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) award. In Hollywood he has starred in Houseguest and made a cameo appearance in Homeward Bound II.

Although not as well known in Europe as in the United States, Sinbad is an appropriate choice for the 'redefined' Miss Universe, which prides itself on its charitable concerns.

In March 1996 he accompanied Hillary Clinton to Bosnia on a comic relief mission to US troops. He has also worked on behalf of HIV and Aids for the film Time Out, made to inform youngsters about the risk of the HIV virus and Aids related illnesses.

But the night's local favourite will be Larnaca-born Anna Vishi - booked to sing ‘On A Night Like This’ - a track from her recently produced English album. Broadcast to 124 countries and over 200 million viewers worldwide, it is likely to be Vishi's biggest performance yet.

American sensation and winner of a Grammy 2000 award, Elvis Crespo, will perform his hit ‘Suavemente’ alongside R&B chart-toppers Montell Jordan and Dave Koz with their single ‘Careless Whisper’.

Commentators Ali Landry, Miss USA 1996 and Julie Moran, co-anchor of the CBS programme Entertainment Tonight, top the celebrity line up.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail

Wednesday, May 3, 2000

[07] Police ‘very happy’ with Easter traffic

A few more people were injured over the 2000 Easter weekend than in 1999, even though slightly fewer traffic accidents occurred.

One person was killed over the April 28 to May 1 period and 12 were seriously injured in a total of 80 accidents.

This compared to no fatalities over the same period last year, but 13 seriously injuries in a total of 84 traffic accidents.

Killed on Sunday was 27-year-old Pakistani student Imran Shahzad.

Police yesterday told the Cyprus Mail that Shahzad, who had been studying at the Frederick Institute of Technology in Nicosia, was killed instantly when his car collided with a barrier.

The accident occurred at approximately 3.40am near Eleftheria Square and was believed to have been caused by excessive speed.

The assistant head of Nicosia police headquarters' traffic department, Andreas Pappas, said the accident could not have been prevented by the extra measures police took as thousands of motorists leaving town for the holiday.

Pappas added the increased patrols would continue until all motorists had returned from their Easter break.

"We are very satisfied (by the measures already taken) and that even though, according to our estimates so far, more than 100,000 vehicles were on the roads from Friday until midnight on Monday, we did not have very serious or a large number of (Easter-linked) accidents."

Pappas said that the majority of Easter trippers had travelled "in safety and comfort," even though there had been peak-time delays on intercity highways.

Most people were expected to have returned home by last night.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail

Wednesday, May 3, 2000

[08] Firework injuries down on last year

There were 13 cases of injuries caused by firecrackers this year, 10 of which occurred on Easter night.

Senior Police Press office official Stelios Neophytou told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that more injuries had been avoided by police action, with the confiscation of over 7,000 explosive devices, of which 5,500 were firecrackers.

Neophytou said the police operation had been helped by the co-operation of parents, teachers, the Church and the various municipalities.

"Some of the accidents were serious and some slight. Most were serious. Some involved adults but most, unfortunately, were young people, children who have been scarred by one irresponsible act that some people still insist on calling a tradition."

None of the injuries was life threatening.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail

Wednesday, May 3, 2000

[09] ‘Private dam will deprive us of water’

Villagers from Kanavi and Kritou-Marotou near Paphos had collected 125 electoral booklets from members of their communities to hand over to the authorities.

Sixty villagers came to town for the 10am protest against the dam, which they say has been approved by the authorities and would deprive the villages of their water supplies.

"We are demonstrating against the unjust treatment we are subjected to by the Paphos district officer and the relevant departments," one of the protestors said.

But Paphos district officer Nicos Roussos said the authorities were not in favour of the dam. He stressed that no licence had been issued for the construction plans, and added legal action was under way to halt its construction, which had begun without planning permission.

The protest disrupted traffic for about an hour.

[10] Drunken despair drove debtor to burn his car

The 50-year-old Paralimni man’s car was completely destroyed by fire at 5.30pm on Monday, two days before it was due to be auctioned.

The owner, who was arrested yesterday, said the bank he had borrowed from to buy the twin-cabin pick-up truck had arranged the car's sale when he fell behind in payments.

Despite of the fire brigade’s efforts, the £2,500 pick-up was completely destroyed. The bank said yesterday the man owed £250 on the car.

Meanwhile, a second car also destroyed in yesterday in a blaze that police said was set maliciously.

The car belonged to a 33-year-old man living in the Anthoupolis suburb of Nicosia. It was completely destroyed in a fire that broke out just after 3am yesterday.

No arrests have been made.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail

Wednesday, May 3, 2000

[11] National Guard chief replaced

General Demou, who has completed his term of duty in Cyprus, was released with the characterisation of "having served well"

But his last months were clouded by alleged differences with Defence Minister Socratis Hasikos, with tensions reported over recent reforms bringing the National Guard under the overall control of the Ministry.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail

Wednesday, May 3, 2000

[12] Papandreou 'hopeful' after Cem meeting

Speaking after a lengthy unscheduled meeting with his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem in New York, Papandreou also said common interests in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean had helped Greece and Turkey take the first steps in ironing out their differences.

Papandreou said he and Cem had discussed Greco-Turkish ties, and had reviewed developments after the elections in Greece and issues relating to the European Union along with the Cyprus problem.

"We had the opportunity to exchange views on the Cyprus question. We hope that there will be progress and that this progress will be defined in the next round or rounds of talks," Papandreou told reporters.

"This effort is an important basis on which we are building a climate of mutual interests we believe will allow us to create a realisation of our joint interest with regard to our relations and the Cyprus question," Papandreou said.

Less controversial bilateral issues such as energy and double taxation were also on the agenda, as were EU issues.

Papandreou and Cem are together in New York to receive the &gt;Statesman of the Year Award= of the East West Institute for their contribution to rapprochement between the two historic enemies.

Tomorrow, Papandreou will travel to Washington to meet Presidential Emissary for Cyprus Alfred Moses and Ben Gilman, chairman of the US House Committee on International Relations. Moses is expected to visit Cyprus next week.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail

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