Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 01-12-05

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

Wednesday, December 5, 2001

CONTENTS

[01] Sunny inside, pouring outside: a bizarre day in the buffer zone

[02] News in brief

[03] 84 saved from sinking oil rig

[04] Convict's wife goes on hunger strike for his release

[05] 'Killer' still at large

[06] Volunteers honoured, but association warns of bogus charities

[07] New categories to refine film classification

[08] Storms burn up dozens of computers

[09] Jockeys refuse to ride in protest at fine

[10] Talks announcement drags shares back from the brink

[01] Sunny inside, pouring outside: a bizarre day in the buffer zone

THE CLIMATE inside the buffer zone residence yesterday may have been warm and sunny judging by the meeting's outcome, but the event became a washout for the hordes of waiting journalists when the skies opened into torrential rains.

It had been a lovely sunny morning when, in scenes reminiscent of a film premiere, President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash arrived for their first face-to-face talks since 1997 at the residence of the UN Permanent Representative in the United Nations Protected Area (UNPA) near Nicosia Airport.

Greek Cypriot journalists were outnumbered at least three to one by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot journalists and television crews, and the media scrum of 200 or so elbowed for space in front of the secluded house, which had been fenced off close to the inside gate.

UNFICYP spokesman Brian Kelly warned that, as soon as both leaders were inside, the house would be closed and everyone would have to leave the grounds until the meeting finished.

First to arrive 20 minutes before the expected 10am kick off was UN special envoy for Cyprus Alvaro de Soto, the 'Sean Connery of the Cyprus problem', looking every inch the celebrity.

" My role here is very limited,"De Soto told journalists as he held up a tiny orange-coloured notepad and pencil before turning and entering the building.

The weather was the main topic of conversation among journalists and UN personnel monitoring the fenced-off area, as the morning had turned out to be unexpectedly sunny after days of stormy rain.

UNFICYP had set up a tent outside the house, where an unlimited supply of hot drinks was being served up, as no one knew how long the meeting would last.

President Clerides then arrived at the house at 9.55am, accompanied only by Presidential Undersecretary Pantelis Kouros and another aide carrying a large box briefcase. Clerides made no statements as he was welcomed by De Soto and host Zbigniew Wlosowicz, the UNFICYP chief of mission who occupies the house.

Eight minutes later, Denktash arrived, also accompanied by two close aides. He told waiting journalists: " I love you all."Both leaders then appeared on the steps for a photo call, shaking hands and clapping each other on the back as they went inside. De Soto turned back, put his hands together and mouthed the word " pray"before the door closed.

Within 15 minutes, the skies opened and journalists and UN personnel ran for cover into the coffee tent, huddling there for an hour as others just stayed out in the rain.

Five minutes before the meeting ended at around 11.10am, everyone was instructed to return to the fenced area, battling for space as torrents of rain poured over cameras and tape recorders.

De Soto, who read out a brief statement while Spokesman Brian Kelly covered his head with a broken yellow umbrella, could barely be heard above the noise of the rain. When journalists called him to move closer, the normally poised envoy stumbled and almost fell as he descended the slippery steps.

Sheltering under the porch, the two leaders waited for their respective minders, shook hands one last time and went their separate ways. I bet their suits were still dry when they got home.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[02] News in brief

Tourist killed

Death fall

Police say it would appear Charalambous fell from the outer staircase on the third floor.

Arson arrest

The owner of the salon heard glass breaking and immediately called the police, who arrived to discover the door of the salon had been tampered with and a fire had broken out.

The Fire Department was called but was unable to save the salon.

Police say the motive is believed to have been professional jealousy.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[03] 84 saved from sinking oil rig

CYPRUS and British Bases helicopters yesterday joined an international rescue operation to pluck 84 workers from an American oil rig sinking in rough seas off the coast of Israel, but within the Nicosia Flight Information Region (FIR) around 240 kilometres southeast of Cyprus.

The crew members - mainly Egyptians, but also Americans, Britons, Italians, Danes and Australians - were evacuated to safety by a helicopter flying off Italian frigate Aleseo .

The operation was completed at around 1.30pm.

The Italian helicopter flew at least 42 sorties - lifting two people at each attempt -- in weather conditions described "appalling" by one of the pilots, a Sovereign Base Area (SBA) statement said.

They were transferred to the on-scene command centre, the frigate USS Ross , which was later due to head for the northern Israeli port of Haifa.

The6,347-tonne rig Key Singaporewas reported to be breaking up but was still afloat yesterday afternoon, Lloyds Casualty Reporting service said.

The USS Rosswas still alongside the platform but was unable to put a line on her because of the heavy swell and 45-knot winds.

Apart from the two frigates, a second US vessel, as well as two British Wessex helicopters dispatched from SBA Akrotiri and a Cyprus police Bell helicopter, assisted in the difficult operation.

Defence Ministry Spokesman Andreas Yiorkas said a distress signal from the rig had been received early yesterday morning but several ships in the area found it impossible to approach the platform because of the rough weather.

An SBA statement said conditions in the area were extremely hazardous with 27-foot waves, low cloud, rain, and high winds.

Three helicopters were dispatched from Cyprus, Yiorkas said, but because of the long distance they had to refuel in Israel.

The rig transmitted a distress call after towlines securing it to tugboats snapped in heavy seas. It was being transferred between drilling sites off Port Said in Egypt when the cables broke, said Arieh Rona, head of the Israeli Shipping and Ports Administration.

The rig, owned by Global Santa Fe, drifted north until it was about 50km from the Israeli coast.

During the night the rig had started listing and began breaking up, a spokesman at the US embassy in Israel said. Israeli military helicopters, which were first on the scene, were unable to land at first due to high winds.

Global Santa Fe International Corporation is the world's second-largest offshore oil and natural gas driller.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[04] Convict's wife goes on hunger strike for his release

THE WIFE of a convicted killer yesterday began a hunger strike at the offices of the Attorney-general, saying she would remain there until her husband was released or until she died.

Mary Christodoulou, 35, the wife of Ierotheos Christodoulou, alias Ropas, began her hunger strike at 7am in the lobby of Attorney-general Alecos Markides' offices, accompanied by her eight-year-old son. She said her 15- year-old daughter would be joining them later in the day.

Ropas was sentenced to life imprisonment on manslaughter charges over two years ago. His appeal to the Supreme Court was later turned down, but now his spouse says she has new evidence that could reverse the guilty verdict.

" I'll stay here until they take my husband out of prison,"she told the Cyprus Mailyesterday. " They condemned my husband without presenting the evidence."

Christodoulou said the authorities were refusing to chase down the real guilty parties in the killing and refusing to look at the evidence.

" There is no chance of retrying the case so I came here so that the Attorney-general's office can assume its responsibilities and admit they were wrong,"she added.

" They delayed too much and the evidence was lost and they have denied my husband his right to prove himself innocent, not only once but many times. My husband is in jail because of the trickery of the police. His first lawyer sold out and co-operated with the police and now because so many have a responsibility in all this, they all have to be covered up, but I'm going to stay on huger strike until I get my husband out - even if it means death."

The recent publicity in the Ropas case last week prompted Markides to say that under Cyprus law, no retrial could be held after an appeals court had rejected a defendant's plea.

In the event the new evidence did appear to clear Ropas, a presidential pardon would be the only way for the convict to get out of jail, Markides said. However, a pardon would still mean a convict remained guilty as charged, even though new evidence might suggest otherwise.

Markides said he would examine any new evidence brought to his attention and on that basis would decide whether or not to recommend to the President that Ropas be pardoned.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[05] 'Killer' still at large

A YUGOSLAV murder suspect is still at large despite police efforts to bring him to justice, the Limassol police director said yesterday.

Charalambos Koulendis told the Cyprus Mailthat based on police information police, 24-year-old Dragan Prvulovic, alias 'Killer', was still on the island.

" We are carrying out daily searches at houses and flats but there is no sign of him yet,"Koulendis said.

Authorities only managed to identify the suspect 24 hours after the murder of Nicos Panayiotou, 24, in a Limassol club over 20 days ago.

Despite this, Koulendis felt confident the fugitive had not escaped abroad.

" There is no way he left the island through Larnaca airport legally, "Koulendis said.

He added: " We don't know whether he had any forged passports but all indications show that he is still in Cyprus."

The authorities have nevertheless asked UNFICYP for assistance, worried that the Yugoslav could try to flee to the occupied north.

The UN have been supplied with information on Prvulovic to prevent him from crossing the buffer zone should he try.

But so far, the UN have not heard from Turkish Cypriot authorities of anyone arrested crossing from the free areas, reinforcing the police's belief that the suspect is still hiding in a safe house somewhere in Limassol.

Prvulovic, considered by police as armed and extremely dangerous, is accused of shooting Panayiotou after a fight in the Privé club.

He then escaped through the club's kitchen without being seen.

Reports said police tracked him down three days after the murder, but later lost him again.

His girlfriend, Anna Kostic, is also missing and is thought to be hiding along with Prvulovic.

Koulendis said Interpol had already been notified and the suspect's arrest was being treated as a high priority by the international force.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[06] Volunteers honoured, but association warns of bogus charities

VOLUNTEERS have raised over £3.5 million for charity in Cyprus so far this year.

Today is International Volunteer's Day, and Labour Minister Andreas Moushiouttas took the opportunity to praise Cypriot volunteers for their hard work in raising money in over 300 programmes and services for charities.

" We stand in awe of the task, in which thousands of Cypriot volunteers involved in committees and societies undertake to raise money for the easing of human pain,"Moushiouttas said yesterday.

However, the President of the Pancyprian Welfare Council (PSE), Stavros Olympios, is warning the public against people collecting money for false charities.

He feels amendments need to be made to the current law to protect innocent people from becoming victims of such con artists.

" The PSE is asking the government for proper support and to help the Committee make decisions regarding the welfare of the public. We are also asking for monitoring of charity lotteries and collections,"Olympios said.

Olympios warned there were people going from house to house selling books and other products and claiming the profits would be going towards often bogus charities, thus making it difficult for real charities to raise funds.

He said specific licences were issued for collections and the receipts given out should be stamped in order to prove their authenticity.

He called on the public to check if the person collecting the money was carrying a copy of their fund-raising licence.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[07] New categories to refine film classification

THE GOVERNMENT is planning to introduce new screening categories to refine the classification of films in bill due to be put before the House of Representatives.

The current law places films in three categories - 1, for all ages, 2, where children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult, and 3, for over 18s only.

The new law will introduce five categories: Universal, for all ages, over 12, over 15, over 18, and a special category that covers films containing extreme scenes that could be seriously offensive.

In June last year, the House of Representatives changed the name of the board responsible for viewing and categorising films from the Board of Film Censorship to the Board of Film Classification.

One of the oldest members of the Board, Olga Demetriades, yesterday told the Cyprus Mailthe draft bill had been prepared two years ago but was only looked at by the House Interior Committee on Monday.

Demetriades was instrumental in the preparation of the bill and said the new law was very similar to that of the British Film Classification Board.

One of the amendments under consideration by the House of Representatives is the possibility of setting up cinemas that would only show films from the special fourth category.

This would allow a way out of the dilemma posed by the controversial banning of the sexually-explicit French film Romancelast year.

" I rejected the idea of getting young people to go to pornographic cinemas. The next thing you know, they will be visiting the red light district,"said Demetriades.

She also complained that most newspapers did not show the categories, that police were not checking cinemas and that parents were ignorant of the categories.

Head of the Board of Film Classification Androulla Lanitis yesterday said the old law had been introduced in 1935 and the bill being considered would be an update.

" Under the old law, the Board was allowed to ban films and remove offensive scenes, something that will be abolished by the new law,"said Lanitis.

She also said the role of the board was to place films, to be shown in public cinemas, in categories

According to the law, films that have not been presented to the Board for classification can be confiscated by police without a court order. Police will retain that right under the amended law.

The bill is scheduled to be discussed by the House Interior Committee on December 17.

Police caused controversy last September when they barged into the Acropole Cinema in Nicosia and confiscated its copy of Romance , after it was banned by the Film Censorship Board for public screening.

Acropole argued the screening was taking place in a private film club, and won the ensuing court case.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[08] Storms burn up dozens of computers

DOZENS of computer users saw their machines seize up because of the harsh weather this weekend, repair shops reported yesterday.

Reports from several computer dealers said dozens of PCs had suffered burnt modems or power supply systems because of electricity surges created by lightning strikes during the weekend storms.

Michalis Charalambides of Cyberia said they had received over a dozen phone calls from people whose computers had been fried by the surges.

The most common damage found by the company's technicians, he said, were burnt modems and power supplies.

The same was reported from Paphos, where computer suppliers PC Cool said they were working on around a dozen PCs with similar damage.

Several other retailers around the island reported the same thing.

Computer technician Michalis Chaitidis, who was working on six machines - five with frazzled modems and one with a burnt-out power supply - said people could protect their equipment by installing a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) or a surge stabiliser.

Electricity Authority (EAC) Spokesman Tasos Rousos said yesterday the phenomenon was rare, but admitted that when lightning struck the waves could get into the systems.

The same could happen to television sets through the aerial on the roof of the house, Rousos warned.

" You could ground your aerial or install a low intensity lightning conductor to absorb the waves,"he said.

He added that because this kind of storms were rare in Cyprus not many people went to such lengths.

" I wouldn't say it's necessary but the possibility is there when lightning strikes,"Rousos said.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[09] Jockeys refuse to ride in protest at fine

THE JOCKEY Association yesterday decided to stop riding indefinitely in protest at a £500 fine imposed on its members after they refused to race in torrential rain at Sunday afternoon's meet.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Jockey Association said their punishment was unfair and unjustified.

" After these developments, we have decided to pull out from Wednesday's horse race and stop riding in general until the authorities lift the unfair and unjustified punishment of our members with a £500 fine,"the statement said.

The jockeys' decision is set to throw today's meeting into confusion. The jockeys had the right to appeal the fine imposed by the Stewards - an independent body - within 48 hours, but it is understood they did not do so.

Horse Racing Authority official Eftihios Hadjieftihiou told the Cyprus Mailthat the fine had been imposed because the jockeys had refused to ride on Sunday, even though experts judged it fit for racing.

" They claimed the track was slippery, although experts on duty that day said it was suitable,"Hadjieftihiou said.

" We are prepared to hold the horse races on Wednesday,"he added.

The Chairman of the Horse Racing Club Panayiotis Kazamias echoed Hadjieftihiou: " Experts said the track was suitable for racing and there was no reason for not riding; but they refused."

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[10] Talks announcement drags shares back from the brink

The all-share index ended 0.7 per cent down at 133.7 points but had hit a low of 132 by mid session after an uncertain start.

Immediately after the meeting between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders ended at around 11.10am, and the news or renewed talks emerged, the index began to climb unsteadily to regain losses sustained earlier in the session.

However, it was not quite able to reach Monday's closing level of 134.5 points.

The blue chips FTSE/CySE index closed 0.4 per cent down at 525 points while volume rose slightly over Monday's figure to £8.5 million.

The three main banks again topped the most active list. Overall, the banking sector shed 0.7 per cent with Bank of Cyprus ending unchanged at £1.93 while Laiki lost one cent to £1.51 and Hellenic also ended unchanged at £0.92.

The only sectors to record slight gains yesterday were construction and technology, and insurance, which recorded the biggest rise of 2.7 per cent.

A total of 38 stocks moved upwards, compared to 64 decliners and 40 that remained the same.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

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