Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 01-06-09

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

Saturday, June 9, 2001

CONTENTS

[01] Bring injured birds to us, Game Service appeals

[02] New disability benefits

[03] Moi pledges good word for Cyprus in Annan talks

[04] Cyprus tops foreign investors in Russia

[05] Ministry warns teachers they cannot delay exams

[01] Bring injured birds to us, Game Service appeals

THE GAME Service is urging people finding floundering fledglings not to try to rear them themselves, but rather to hand them over for expert care at their purpouse-built wild bird sanctuary in Nicosia.

The bird rehabilitation centre, near the Athalassa park, can boast having cared for and re-introduced to the wild no fewer than 186 different species since it was set up in 1995.

Early summer is the time when many birds leave the nest and a good number of these fail to make it in the wild. If not captured by cats or other predators, the fledglings often end up being picked up by people.

"Many young birds, either due to weakness, inability to fly, injury or disorientation, end up being abandoned by their parents. Many are then picked up by caring citizens," the Game service said yesterday.

"For the good of the birds, our plea is that anyone keeping or finding such birds hand them to the Game service because they need expert care," the announcement stated. "The birds will die if looked after by non-qualified individuals," the service warned.

The game service also noted that keeping wild birds at home was in any case illegal.

At the Athalassa bird sanctuary, rescued birds are given any medical attention they might require and then nurtured back to full strength. The aim is always to return the sanctuary's 'patients' to the wild.

"We try not to get the birds accustomed to humans, so we keep contact to a minimum," the sanctuary's director, Andreas Lyssandros, said yesterday.

Re-introducing a kestrel of buzzard to the wild is no good if it then proceeds to fly up to the first human it sees to beg for food.

A young barn owl, two long-legged buzzards, several kestrels, two goshawks, a peregrine falcon, an osprey and two cranes are currently recovering at the bird sanctuary. A long-eared owl, two more kestrels and a stone curlew were added to the list of avian 'guests' yesterday.

Lyssandros, an expert in wildlife rehabilitation, said the birds at the shelter were either lost fledglings or victims of injury or poisoning. The Game service man said the idea that most birds arriving at the centre were the victim's of hunters' shotgun pellets was a misconception. "People think most of the injured birds are from hunting, but they are not. Today, for example, there were four new arrivals which had nothing to do with hunting, " he said.

He also said the message about not keeping wild birds was beginning to hit home: "People are learning to bring birds they find to us."

If you do find an injured or otherwise helpless wild bird, the numbers to call are:

Nicosia: 867786, 662495, 09-461629, 09-445697

Limassol: 351614, 09-628338, 09-445728

Larnaca: 630293, 09-445808, 09-522700

Paphos: 940211, 09-445291, 09-445679

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[02] New disability benefits

THE MINISTRY of Labour and Social Insurance has announced the coming into effect of a new benefits scheme for the physically disabled.

The plan provides for full board and lodging allowances during the summer at mountain and seaside resorts. It also covers dependents of disabled persons and their escorts. Up to £20 per day are offered in allowances for a single one-week period.

To be eligible, applicants must not receive benefits from similar schemes or funds and the household's per capita income must not exceed £450 a month.

Priority will be given to persons with more serious physical disabilities and to employed persons not entitled to leave from the Social Insurance central fund.

Among the hotels taking part in the scheme are those in Polis Chrysochous and Pyrgos Tyllirias.

The plan covers the following periods: 25 June to 24 September for mountain resorts and 23 July to 24 September for seaside resorts.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[03] Moi pledges good word for Cyprus in Annan talks

KENYAN President Daniel Arap Moi yesterday wrapped up the second day of his official four-day visit to the island meeting with the newly elected president of the house, Demetris Christofias, as well as the Cypriot education and foreign ministers.

Moi, in his meeting with the house president, discussed the two nations' bilateral relations, focused on trade, tourism, education and the Cyprus problem.

The Kenyan president had vowed to discuss the Cyprus problem in his upcoming visit with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, newly elected House of Representatives President Demetris Christofias said yesterday.

Christofias specified that Moi would ask Annan to be "more determined in his initiative towards a settlement of the Cyprus question".

At an official banquet on Thursday night, Moi characterised as "low" the trade volume between the two nations, but added "efforts are being made to by officials of both government to create the framework for closer commercial interaction".

He pointed out that within this framework, two agreements and a protocol on tourism, cultural, educational and scientific co-operation had been signed.

The Kenyan President also said he looked forward "to Cyprus joining the European Union and becoming one of our major entry points to the lucrative European market".

Kenya and Cyprus share membership of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth and the United Nations.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[04] Cyprus tops foreign investors in Russia

CYPRUS has become the biggest foreign investor in Russia in the non-banking sector for the first time in history, beating Germany, the United States and other economic powerhouses, the Moscow Times reported yesterday.

This finding follows the analysis of first quarter earnings for the current year. A representative of Russian Businesses in Cyprus confirmed this fact when contacted by the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

According to studies cited, Cyprus accounted for 17 per cent of all foreign investments for the quarter, ahead of Holland at 14.6 per cent and former leader the United States with 14 per cent.

Overall, foreign investment in Russia reached $2.7 billion in the non- banking sector in the first quarter of the year, up 11.1 percent over the same period last year.

The Moscow Times based its article on new data compiled by the Unicon agency's macroeconomic research centre and based on State Statistics Committee numbers.

It also reported having polled analysts who said there was no doubt that most of the so-called 'Cyprus money' was in fact Russian money coming back after passing through Russian offshore companies in Cyprus.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[05] Ministry warns teachers they cannot delay exams

EDUCATION Ministry officials met with civil servants' union PASYDY yesterday to discuss a planned teachers' strike, which could threaten school exams currently under way.

Teachers are protesting at proposals for lowering entry-level salaries for the profession.

The outcome of the meeting is to be put to teachers' unions in an effort to avert the strike.

The teachers unions seem undecided on whether they will strike or not and have told the Ministry they will give their final decision next Tuesday.

Education Minister Ouranios Ioannides yesterday said it was logical that a meeting would have to be held between the Ministry and the unions to resolve the problem.

"A solution will have to be found. These exams cannot be postponed, not even by one day," said Ioannides.

Ioannides said pupils sitting their final exams could not be delayed. Most boys have to prepare for the army, which they will enter in July, while pupils preparing for university would need their exam results to apply for courses.

"We're talking about 7,000 pupils being affected. Schoolchildren have prepared other things for after their exams," said Ioannides.

The President of the National Confederation of Parents of Secondary Schoolchildren, Elias Demetriou, has urged those involved in the dispute not to sacrifice the future of thousands of school children for their own interests.

The Ministry of Finance has expressed surprise that the unions are prepared to take such drastic measures, seeing as the proposal by the Education Committee to lower entry-level salaries was not an ultimatum.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

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