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Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-02-13
Thursday, February 13, 2003
CONTENTS
[01] Papadopoulos hits back as investors reveal CSE probeBy Sofia KannasTHE
CYPRUS Investors' Association yesterday made public the results of a
criminal investigation by the Attorney-general office, implicating
presidential candidate Tassos Papadopoulos in a company accused of
defrauding investors of millions of pounds.But Papadopoulos' campaign team
dismissed the allegations as pre-electoral mud-slinging, saying their
candidate had nothing to hide.The contents of the report, which was
completed and submitted to the Attorney-general's office on December 16
last year, were revealed at a news conference yesterday.The President of
the Investor's Association Demetris Hadjipapas said investigations into
Claridge Investments Ltd. had been carried out over a 15-month period,
examining suspicions that 12 company members, including board member
Papadopoulos, were guilty of defrauding investors.“Shares in the company
were deliberately split in order to allow major shareholders the
opportunity to sell shares to the public and make financial gains at the
investing public's expense,” Hadjipapas said.He added it was “unthinkable”
for a presidential candidate to be suspected of committing a series of
serious criminal offences connected to the CSE scandal.“How can we continue
investigations if he becomes President of the Republic?” he asked.The
criminal investigation report itself was damning of the 14 suspects accused
of defrauding the public:“We (the criminal investigators) agree with the
view of the investors that this is a case of a premeditated trap which led
to the defrauding of the investing public as well as developments in the
Cyprus stock market.”The Association's Secretary-general Pantelis
Nicolaides told the Cyprus Mail the report clearly implied there was a
conspiracy on the part of major shareholders and board members.“The case
now goes to the Attorney-general, and our question is what are they going
to do about the suspects, including Tassos Papadopoulos? It would be
strange if he was elected on Sunday facing these charges.”The suspects, 14
in total, have not yet been questioned about the alleged splitting of
shares, pending instructions from the Attorney-general.Nicolaides said the
Association had sent a letter to Deputy Attorney-general Petros Clerides
voicing their concern over the case.“We sent him a letter yesterday but we
haven't had a response yet. We will await one.” Clerides yesterday said he
was unfamiliar with the report and the investigations carried out.“I am not
aware of the case,” he said.Meanwhile, presidential candidate and Attorney-
general Alecos Markides defended suggestions that the report should have
been made public sooner.“It was impossible to process the findings of the
investigation in a few days, especially with the Christmas and New Year
holidays. And I was not involved in the legal service after January
4.”Markides also played down Papadopoulos' alleged involvement in the
case.“Personally, I never thought this investigation concerned Mr
Papadopoulos himself… I knew he was the legal advisor for the company in
question but it has not been established that he actually sold shares
during the critical period.”Responding to the allegations in a statement
yesterday, Papadopoulos' spokesman Marios Karoyian said the announcement by
the Association was an example of “pre-election mud slinging.”Karoyian
defended the presidential candidate, saying: “Mr Papadopoulos has nothing
to fear and nothing to hide… He has answered questions in detail on this
subject and has made it clear that he has not sold any Claridge shares.”But
the Chairman of the House Watchdog Committee, Christos Pourgourides,
suggested that it didn't matter whether Papadopoulos sold shares or not.“If
Mr Papadopoullos has or hasn't sold any shares personally has no relevance
whatsoever. “Friends and associates on the Board and companies of friends
and relatives of his wife have sold shares and have allegedly defrauded the
public,” he said in a statement.
[02] Third plan only with give and takeBy George PsyllidesTHE GOVERNMENT
said yesterday a third version of the United Nations settlement plan for
Cyprus would only be submitted if there was a give and take procedure
during ongoing talks between the two sides.Government Spokesman Michalis
Papapetrou said the government agreed with Greek Foreign Minister George
Papandreou's assertion that an effort for give and take had to precede a
third revised plan.Papapetrou suggested that in the absence of such a
procedure, any changes to the current plan would be insignificant, since no
one could unilaterally change anything to make it favourable for either
side.The Government Spokesman repeated that he could not confirm whether UN
Secretary-general Kofi Annan would be visiting the island at the end of the
month, adding that despite the information, there was no official notice
concerning the matter.On Tuesday, Greek Government Spokesman Christos
Protopapas said Annan would visit Cyprus at the end of this month,
following visits to Turkey and Greece.“We have information; we don't have
any official notice,” Papapetrou said.He added that the government would
take the issue up with UN special envoy Alvaro de Soto when he returned
today or tomorrow.Commenting on Attorney-general Alecos Markides'
suggestion that a third plan would be in a take-it-or-leave-it form,
Papapetrou said Markides was voicing his own opinion.He said President
Glafcos Clerides had a different view on the matter and, through public
comments, the President wanted to send certain messages.Regarding the talks
between Greece and Turkey on security issues in Cyprus, Papapetrou said it
was important that Turkey, which had refused to talk on several occasions
in the past, was now willing to discuss the matter.Papapetrou said the
government was in “full and close contact” with the Greek government and
there was “common planning, common positions and common understanding” on
how the issue should be handled.The UN has called on the NATO allies to
press ahead with ironing out any security aspects of the blueprint before
the UN's February 28 deadline.“The negotiations, according to our
suggestion, should start as soon as possible, next week,” Greek Foreign
Ministry Spokesman Panos Beglitis said in Athens yesterday.Beglitis told a
news briefing that Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou had sent a
letter to his Turkish counterpart Yassar Yakis inviting Turkey to start
talks on Cyprus-related security issues.He said Greece suggested high-
ranking foreign ministry officials and military experts from both sides
should take part in the talks that would be held in Athens and Ankara
alternately.
[03] Leaders lashed for media interventionsBy a Staff ReporterPRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE Tassos Papadopoulos and the leader of AKEL Demetris Christofias,
were both on the receiving end of a barrage of condemnation yesterday for
intervening in the work of journalists and hindering the freedom of
speech.Christofias, whose party is backing Papadopoulos' ticket, on Tuesday
interrupted a live prime-time radio show on state-controlled CyBC to
reprimand the presenter for not doing her job properly because, as he
claimed, she was asking the foreign minister 'loaded' questions.On the same
day Papadopoulos threatened a television station he would pull out of a
live interview if a specific journalist were not taken off the panel.At the
same time Papadopoulos' staff issued an announcement accusing a second
journalist, who had taken part in a television interview on Monday, of
launching a “defamatory attack” against their candidate.During the
interview the journalist pointed out to Papadopoulos that his education
policy document contained numerous spelling and syntax mistakes and
wondered whether they were going to be employed at the education ministry
if he were elected president.Papadopoulos' staff conceded there were four
or five typos, which they said was normal.In a counter statement the
journalist maintained that he was ready to indicate many more grammatical
errors than just four or five.Yesterday, AKEL's mouthpiece Haravghi,
launched a scathing attack against the journalist, charging that he was
under the orders of the presidential palace and DISY chief Nicos
Anastassiades.Government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou urged Papadopoulos
and his supporters not to let the election carry them away into practices
and mentalities of the past.“I express my sadness and disappointment
because yesterday's (Tuesday's) incident, where Christofias exerted
pressure on a CyBC reporter, was not an isolated one.“In three instances,
attempts were made to put pressure on journalists - and these are only
those which saw the public light,” Papapetrou said.The spokesman said it
was unacceptable to use pressure to decide who would interview candidates,
noting that he could have filed many libel suits against specific
newspapers but he chose not to because a politician should be tolerant of
such practises.The journalists union yesterday censured both leaders'
actions, stressing that journalists rejected any attempts made to intervene,
influence, pressure, blackmail, threaten or gag the media. The union
expressed its worry and displeasure at the interventions from politicians
and other circles in the work of journalists.Attorney-general Alecos
Markides condemned the phenomenon and described it as a “worrying sign of
the mentality of those supposedly supporting change”.“Such practices are
not only directed against journalists but are especially aimed at a every
person's freedom of speech and expression,” Markides said.He added: “Is
this the change Mr Papadopoulos and the parties which support him want to
bring to the country?”DISY spokesman Tasos Mitsopoulos said these
“phenomena were indicative of an authoritarian and dated mentality, which
take us back to politicians of other eras”.“It is with sadness that we see
a presidential candidate wanting to impose the journalists of his liking
and decide who would be opposite him every time,” Mitsopoulos
said.Commenting on his demand to remove a journalist from the panel,
Papadopoulos said he had the right to protect himself and the matter had
nothing to do with the freedom of speech. He said the newspaper the
particular journalist worked for wrote abusive articles with twisted facts
aiming to hurt him.Concerning the mistakes in his education programme,
Papadopoulos said his staff simply wrote a letter indicating that his 14-
page pamphlet contained four typos and one syntax error.
[04] Cyprus to keep abreast of EU implant guidelinesBy Stefanos
EvripidouTHE EUROPEAN Parliament is drafting a resolution setting down
strict rules and guidelines on breast implant surgery, including the
introduction of national registers and passports. If acted upon, these
rules will be adopted in Cyprus where chest-enhancing operations have hit
the thousands - for both sexes. Plastic surgeon Dr Alecos Kammitsis was the
first person to introduce breast implants to Cyprus in 1975. He told the
Cyprus Mail that since then, thousands of people had had breasts implants,
adding that ninety-nine per cent were for cosmetic purposes. The draft
report on Community and national measures in relation to breast implants
was compiled by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and
Consumer Policy. It sets out measures to ensure patients are provided with
adequate information, correct procedures and appropriate products for
breast implant surgery, while calling for better information on quality
control and research.Doctors will be obliged to provide full and reliable
information on the procedures and initiate a clear, informed discussion of
the implications of breast implant surgery. The report calls on national
authorities to establish a register system to enable both producers and
patients to be traced. Counselling after the operation and check-ups at
least once a year are also advocated by the committee. Advertising needs to
be regulated to avoid inflating demand for implants among men and women
without providing balanced information. The paper also requests that
advertising for "cosmetic surgery" should carry clear bold health warnings.
The focus should be an acceptance of persons as they are, “rather than
allowing unregulated advertising practices to impose an ideal conception of
beauty as the norm”.Implant recipients will hold a passport under committee
recommendations, in which details of the implant and aftercare measures are
indicated, while the passport will act as proof of consent for the
operation.Kammitsis maintains that the content used in breast implants is
continually improving. “The main problem arises with the technique used
rather than the content. It is the outer part of the implant which has been
known to leak, not the inner content,” he said.“But implants have improved
a lot and I have never come across any problems in my experience,” said
Kammitsis. Currently, there are no standards on implants in Cyprus. “We are
waiting for the EU to complete their studies and recommendations and then
we will adopt them ourselves,” he said. “Basically, they are asking doctors
fully to inform the patient what is to be done and make sure they
understand.”Kammitsis said that the majority of people enlarging their
breasts were young women between 20 and 40 years of age. The number of men
asking for the operation was in the hundreds, he added. “Personally I have
performed 40 operations on men,” he said.“There are minor risks to the
operation but a lot depends on the technique used by the doctor. Their life-
span is not fixed. As long as they are doing alright, they don't need
replacing. One of my patients has had hers for 27 years,” he added.However,
to avoid loosening the breast, post-natal women are warned not to breast
feed if they want to maintain the aesthetic effect.
[05] Tests show lead poisoning killed flamingosBy Alex MitaTHE VETERINARY
Services said yesterday they believed the recent death of 20 flamingos at
the Larnaca salt lake was caused by lead poisoning.The head of the
veterinary services Klitos Andreou told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that
scientists who carried out post mortem examinations on the dead birds had
found large quantities of lead pellets fired at a clay pigeon range close
to the lake.“We believe the birds swallowed pellets fired from the range,”
he said adding it would only take a small amount of lead to poison the
birds. “These birds feed on shrimps from the bottom of the lake and at
night they congregate at the centre of the lake,” Andreou said.“Their beaks
are specially designed to sieve the mud and water from the lake bed leaving
only the shrimp and plankton in their beaks which they swallow. But because
the pellets are small they stay in the beak and are swallowed -- and lead
is a really toxic metal.” “The symptoms we have seen so far lead to the
assumption that lead poisoning is the cause of death.”But Andreou cautioned
the Veterinary Services' findings were based only on preliminary
examinations.“We have sent mud and water samples for toxicological and
forensic examination and I am sure the results will shed more light into
the issue,” Andreou said. House Environment Committee president George
Lillikas of AKEL told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that if it was lead
poisoning that had killed the flamingos then the entire salt lake would
have to be thoroughly cleaned.“It is still unclear whether the death of the
birds was caused by lead poisoning, but if that is the case, the entire
salt lake should be emptied and cleaned to prevent more deaths, something
that would cost a lot of money,” Lillikas said, pledging to have the
shooting range removed from the area.“We will bring the matter up when the
House reopens after the elections and we will do everything within our
power to see whether we can have the clay pigeon range removed or have the
shooters fire in another direction so the pellets don't fall into the salt
lake,” Lillikas said. Green Party deputy George Perdikis said yesterday it
was high time the shooting range as well as other issues around the salt
lake were addressed by the government in order to safeguard the future of
the birds.“That shooting range is illegal,” he claimed.“We have been saying
this all the time but I will say it again, the government does not care.
They don't care about the sewage pipe that will be built around the lake
and they don't care that the airport has taken over some of the area
designated for the wetlands.”Perdikis said the greens had taken their own
samples and sent them for examination.“We cannot at this time be certain
that the death of the flamingos was caused by the lead pellets,” he
said.“However, we will wait for the results of our examination and then we
will act. If the cause of the problem is the shooting range then I can't
wait until we have enough money to buy a bulldozer and tear the whole place
down.”
[06] One missing as bad weather floods rivers and blocks roadsBy Tania
KhadderA 60-YEAR-OLD bus driver was missing last night after his vehicle
was swept away by a river which broke its banks due to the heavy rains,
police said.The man had just dropped off his passengers - mainly pupils -
at around 7pm, when his mini-bus was swept by the Yialias river in Pera
Horio Nisou near Nicosia.Information on the situation was scarce as police
at 11.40pm said they were still looking for the man while reports claimed
he was found inside the bus.His condition was not made known.Stormy weather
battered the whole of Cyprus yesterday causing rivers to burst their banks
and rendering roads dangerous.The problem was worse in Nicosia where at
least one bridge was swept away by the Pedhieos river while police warned
residents living near its banks to be on alert throughout the night.Three
flights delayed their departure from Paphos airport and an inbound flight
was directed to Larnaca due to a hail storm and ice on the runway.The fire
service said it responded to over 150 distress calls around the island
relating to flooded dwellings and stranded drivers.The island's lowest
lowland temperature was felt in Nicosia at 6C, with the highest being in
Paphos at 15C.Across the island, the heavy rain was accompanied by strong
winds blowing south westerly at force 5-6.In the Troodos Mountains, all
four roads to the summit were inaccessible to cars not equipped with four-
wheel drive. The road between Platres and Psilodendro was also closed as a
result of the storm. Between Limassol and Paphos, roads remained open but
with heavy rain and thick fog in the area, police warned drivers to be
cautious and to avoid any unnecessary journeys.According to the Larnaca
Meterological office, the weather will stay the same today, with showers
expected with possible thunderstorms.Sleet and snow will cover the highest
peaks of the Troodos Mountains over 5,500 feet, though a significant
accumulation of snow is not expected in the next few days. The occasional
heavy showers, high wind and low temperatures were not unusual for this
time of year, the Larnaca Meteorological office said.
[07] Limassol mosque reopens as search begins for an imamBy Sofia KannasTHE
KEBIR Mosque in Limassol has opened for the first time since the Turkish
invasion in 1974, the Turkish Cypriot Properties Administration in the city
confirmed yesterday.The mosque, which has been disused for more than 30
years, was re-opened on Tuesday after the completion of extensive
renovation work sponsored by the government.Ayhan Mehmet, representative of
the Turkish Cypriot community in Limassol and member of the 'Cyprus belongs
to Cypriots' organisation, told the Cyprus Mail the opening of the mosque
had coincided with the start of the three-day bayram celebrations.“We were
expecting President Glafcos Clerides to come and officially open the mosque
but he was unwell, so we went ahead with the opening ceremony. But we have
left the ribbon intact so we hope he can come and cut it soon.“The
President donated 350 kilos of lamb for our feast, which was shared among
90 families. He also sent us a carpet for the mosque,” he added. Mehmet
said the 600 Turkish Cypriots in Limassol were delighted at the reopening
of the mosque after so many years.“We are very pleased. It's the first time
the Turkish Cypriots have had their own mosque in over 30 years.”All that
remains is for an imam to be found for the mosque.“We need an imam, but we
want a Turkish Cypriot either from the north or from the United Kingdom. We
don't want an Arab or a Turk from the mainland. We are Cypriots and we want
some one who really represents us.“We are going to try and get in touch
with the UN so that they can maybe help us find a Turkish Cypriot from the
north. If not, we have some contacts in the UK.”Mehmet expressed his
community's gratitude to President Clerides' government for sponsoring the
project, saying: “We thank Mr Clerides and the Republic of Cyprus for
helping reopen the mosque.“We are now considering requesting the opening of
a Turkish primary school in Limassol. We'd like to reopen one and we hope
the government can help again.”Nicos Antoniades, a senior officer at the
Turkish Cypriot Properties Administration in Limassol said the renovation
project, which began at the beginning of the month, had cost £7,000.“The
Turkish Cypriot Properties Administration has spent £7,000 on restoring the
Kebir mosque. It has been painted inside and out, toilet facilities have
been added, and the balcony leading to the top of the minaret has also been
reconstructed.“We are very pleased with the project. The President showed
his interest in the scheme and we responded quickly to the request for the
mosque's renovation. The Turkish Cypriots are very pleased at the outcome,”
he added.
[08] Feeling Alive for Eurovision By Tania KhadderCYPRUS has made its
choice for Eurovision 2003, with Stelios Constantas set to represent the
island with his upbeat pop love song 'Feeling Alive'.Constantas was chosen
by a three-member panel made up of composer Lia Vissi, lyricist Evi Proutsa
and CyBC official Manios Skordis, who listened through a total of 52
entries. The songs lyrics are entirely in English, which may seem an
unlikely representative for Cyprus. “The main reason it's in English is
that it is an international competition, and I thought the judges would
vote better if they could understand the song,” Constantas told the Cyprus
Mail yesterday.The song was not, however, written specifically for the
competition. It was a song he was planning to put on his upcoming album,
but he finally decided to use it for the Eurovision. The composer has been
writing music for 11 years, during which he has worked with famous Greek
and Cypriot artists, and released four albums. Born and raised in Cyprus,
Constantas has been living in Greece for the last few years, but is now
spending some time in Cyprus to relax and prepare for the competition.
“It's too early to get too excited, I'm just trying to prepare the song. I
will go to Greece to rearrange it because that's where I wrote it.“I
believe in it very much, so I hope that it will score well in the contest,”
he added.The 2003 Eurovision Song Contest will take place on May 24 in Riga,
Latvia.
[01] Papadopoulos hits back as investors reveal CSE probeBy Sofia KannasTHE
CYPRUS Investors' Association yesterday made public the results of a
criminal investigation by the Attorney-general office, implicating
presidential candidate Tassos Papadopoulos in a company accused of
defrauding investors of millions of pounds.But Papadopoulos' campaign team
dismissed the allegations as pre-electoral mud-slinging, saying their
candidate had nothing to hide.The contents of the report, which was
completed and submitted to the Attorney-general's office on December 16
last year, were revealed at a news conference yesterday.The President of
the Investor's Association Demetris Hadjipapas said investigations into
Claridge Investments Ltd. had been carried out over a 15-month period,
examining suspicions that 12 company members, including board member
Papadopoulos, were guilty of defrauding investors.“Shares in the company
were deliberately split in order to allow major shareholders the
opportunity to sell shares to the public and make financial gains at the
investing public's expense,” Hadjipapas said.He added it was “unthinkable”
for a presidential candidate to be suspected of committing a series of
serious criminal offences connected to the CSE scandal.“How can we continue
investigations if he becomes President of the Republic?” he asked.The
criminal investigation report itself was damning of the 14 suspects accused
of defrauding the public:“We (the criminal investigators) agree with the
view of the investors that this is a case of a premeditated trap which led
to the defrauding of the investing public as well as developments in the
Cyprus stock market.”The Association's Secretary-general Pantelis
Nicolaides told the Cyprus Mail the report clearly implied there was a
conspiracy on the part of major shareholders and board members.“The case
now goes to the Attorney-general, and our question is what are they going
to do about the suspects, including Tassos Papadopoulos? It would be
strange if he was elected on Sunday facing these charges.”The suspects, 14
in total, have not yet been questioned about the alleged splitting of
shares, pending instructions from the Attorney-general.Nicolaides said the
Association had sent a letter to Deputy Attorney-general Petros Clerides
voicing their concern over the case.“We sent him a letter yesterday but we
haven't had a response yet. We will await one.” Clerides yesterday said he
was unfamiliar with the report and the investigations carried out.“I am not
aware of the case,” he said.Meanwhile, presidential candidate and Attorney-
general Alecos Markides defended suggestions that the report should have
been made public sooner.“It was impossible to process the findings of the
investigation in a few days, especially with the Christmas and New Year
holidays. And I was not involved in the legal service after January
4.”Markides also played down Papadopoulos' alleged involvement in the
case.“Personally, I never thought this investigation concerned Mr
Papadopoulos himself… I knew he was the legal advisor for the company in
question but it has not been established that he actually sold shares
during the critical period.”Responding to the allegations in a statement
yesterday, Papadopoulos' spokesman Marios Karoyian said the announcement by
the Association was an example of “pre-election mud slinging.”Karoyian
defended the presidential candidate, saying: “Mr Papadopoulos has nothing
to fear and nothing to hide… He has answered questions in detail on this
subject and has made it clear that he has not sold any Claridge shares.”But
the Chairman of the House Watchdog Committee, Christos Pourgourides,
suggested that it didn't matter whether Papadopoulos sold shares or not.“If
Mr Papadopoullos has or hasn't sold any shares personally has no relevance
whatsoever. “Friends and associates on the Board and companies of friends
and relatives of his wife have sold shares and have allegedly defrauded the
public,” he said in a statement.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Thursday, February 13, 2003
[02] Third plan only with give and takeBy George PsyllidesTHE GOVERNMENT
said yesterday a third version of the United Nations settlement plan for
Cyprus would only be submitted if there was a give and take procedure
during ongoing talks between the two sides.Government Spokesman Michalis
Papapetrou said the government agreed with Greek Foreign Minister George
Papandreou's assertion that an effort for give and take had to precede a
third revised plan.Papapetrou suggested that in the absence of such a
procedure, any changes to the current plan would be insignificant, since no
one could unilaterally change anything to make it favourable for either
side.The Government Spokesman repeated that he could not confirm whether UN
Secretary-general Kofi Annan would be visiting the island at the end of the
month, adding that despite the information, there was no official notice
concerning the matter.On Tuesday, Greek Government Spokesman Christos
Protopapas said Annan would visit Cyprus at the end of this month,
following visits to Turkey and Greece.“We have information; we don't have
any official notice,” Papapetrou said.He added that the government would
take the issue up with UN special envoy Alvaro de Soto when he returned
today or tomorrow.Commenting on Attorney-general Alecos Markides'
suggestion that a third plan would be in a take-it-or-leave-it form,
Papapetrou said Markides was voicing his own opinion.He said President
Glafcos Clerides had a different view on the matter and, through public
comments, the President wanted to send certain messages.Regarding the talks
between Greece and Turkey on security issues in Cyprus, Papapetrou said it
was important that Turkey, which had refused to talk on several occasions
in the past, was now willing to discuss the matter.Papapetrou said the
government was in “full and close contact” with the Greek government and
there was “common planning, common positions and common understanding” on
how the issue should be handled.The UN has called on the NATO allies to
press ahead with ironing out any security aspects of the blueprint before
the UN's February 28 deadline.“The negotiations, according to our
suggestion, should start as soon as possible, next week,” Greek Foreign
Ministry Spokesman Panos Beglitis said in Athens yesterday.Beglitis told a
news briefing that Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou had sent a
letter to his Turkish counterpart Yassar Yakis inviting Turkey to start
talks on Cyprus-related security issues.He said Greece suggested high-
ranking foreign ministry officials and military experts from both sides
should take part in the talks that would be held in Athens and Ankara
alternately.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Thursday, February 13, 2003
[03] Leaders lashed for media interventionsBy a Staff ReporterPRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE Tassos Papadopoulos and the leader of AKEL Demetris Christofias,
were both on the receiving end of a barrage of condemnation yesterday for
intervening in the work of journalists and hindering the freedom of
speech.Christofias, whose party is backing Papadopoulos' ticket, on Tuesday
interrupted a live prime-time radio show on state-controlled CyBC to
reprimand the presenter for not doing her job properly because, as he
claimed, she was asking the foreign minister 'loaded' questions.On the same
day Papadopoulos threatened a television station he would pull out of a
live interview if a specific journalist were not taken off the panel.At the
same time Papadopoulos' staff issued an announcement accusing a second
journalist, who had taken part in a television interview on Monday, of
launching a “defamatory attack” against their candidate.During the
interview the journalist pointed out to Papadopoulos that his education
policy document contained numerous spelling and syntax mistakes and
wondered whether they were going to be employed at the education ministry
if he were elected president.Papadopoulos' staff conceded there were four
or five typos, which they said was normal.In a counter statement the
journalist maintained that he was ready to indicate many more grammatical
errors than just four or five.Yesterday, AKEL's mouthpiece Haravghi,
launched a scathing attack against the journalist, charging that he was
under the orders of the presidential palace and DISY chief Nicos
Anastassiades.Government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou urged Papadopoulos
and his supporters not to let the election carry them away into practices
and mentalities of the past.“I express my sadness and disappointment
because yesterday's (Tuesday's) incident, where Christofias exerted
pressure on a CyBC reporter, was not an isolated one.“In three instances,
attempts were made to put pressure on journalists - and these are only
those which saw the public light,” Papapetrou said.The spokesman said it
was unacceptable to use pressure to decide who would interview candidates,
noting that he could have filed many libel suits against specific
newspapers but he chose not to because a politician should be tolerant of
such practises.The journalists union yesterday censured both leaders'
actions, stressing that journalists rejected any attempts made to intervene,
influence, pressure, blackmail, threaten or gag the media. The union
expressed its worry and displeasure at the interventions from politicians
and other circles in the work of journalists.Attorney-general Alecos
Markides condemned the phenomenon and described it as a “worrying sign of
the mentality of those supposedly supporting change”.“Such practices are
not only directed against journalists but are especially aimed at a every
person's freedom of speech and expression,” Markides said.He added: “Is
this the change Mr Papadopoulos and the parties which support him want to
bring to the country?”DISY spokesman Tasos Mitsopoulos said these
“phenomena were indicative of an authoritarian and dated mentality, which
take us back to politicians of other eras”.“It is with sadness that we see
a presidential candidate wanting to impose the journalists of his liking
and decide who would be opposite him every time,” Mitsopoulos
said.Commenting on his demand to remove a journalist from the panel,
Papadopoulos said he had the right to protect himself and the matter had
nothing to do with the freedom of speech. He said the newspaper the
particular journalist worked for wrote abusive articles with twisted facts
aiming to hurt him.Concerning the mistakes in his education programme,
Papadopoulos said his staff simply wrote a letter indicating that his 14-
page pamphlet contained four typos and one syntax error.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Thursday, February 13, 2003
[04] Cyprus to keep abreast of EU implant guidelinesBy Stefanos
EvripidouTHE EUROPEAN Parliament is drafting a resolution setting down
strict rules and guidelines on breast implant surgery, including the
introduction of national registers and passports. If acted upon, these
rules will be adopted in Cyprus where chest-enhancing operations have hit
the thousands - for both sexes. Plastic surgeon Dr Alecos Kammitsis was the
first person to introduce breast implants to Cyprus in 1975. He told the
Cyprus Mail that since then, thousands of people had had breasts implants, adding that ninety-nine per cent were for cosmetic purposes. The draft report on Community and national measures in relation to breast implants was compiled by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy. It sets out measures to ensure patients are provided with adequate information, correct procedures and appropriate products for breast implant surgery, while calling for better information on quality control and research.Doctors will be obliged to provide full and reliable information on the procedures and initiate a clear, informed discussion of the implications of breast implant surgery. The report calls on national authorities to establish a register system to enable both producers and patients to be traced. Counselling after the operation and check-ups at least once a year are also advocated by the committee. Advertising needs to be regulated to avoid inflating demand for implants among men and women without providing balanced information. The paper also requests that advertising for "cosmetic surgery" should carry clear bold health warnings. The focus should be an acceptance of persons as they are, “rather than allowing unregulated advertising practices to impose an ideal conception of beauty as the norm”.Implant recipients will hold a passport under committee recommendations, in which details of the implant and aftercare measures are indicated, while the passport will act as proof of consent for the operation.Kammitsis maintains that the content used in breast implants is continually improving. “The main problem arises with the technique used rather than the content. It is the outer part of the implant which has been known to leak, not the inner content,” he said.“But implants have improved a lot and I have never come across any problems in my experience,” said Kammitsis. Currently, there are no standards on implants in Cyprus. “We are waiting for the EU to complete their studies and recommendations and then we will adopt them ourselves,” he said. “Basically, they are asking doctors fully to inform the patient what is to be done and make sure they understand.”Kammitsis said that the majority of people enlarging their breasts were young women between 20 and 40 years of age. The number of men asking for the operation was in the hundreds, he added. “Personally I have performed 40 operations on men,” he said.“There are minor risks to the operation but a lot depends on the technique used by the doctor. Their life-span is not fixed. As long as they are doing alright, they don't need replacing. One of my patients has had hers for 27 years,” he added.However, to avoid loosening the breast, post-natal women are warned not to breast feed if they want to maintain the aesthetic effect.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Thursday, February 13, 2003
[05] Tests show lead poisoning killed flamingosBy Alex MitaTHE VETERINARY
Services said yesterday they believed the recent death of 20 flamingos at
the Larnaca salt lake was caused by lead poisoning.The head of the
veterinary services Klitos Andreou told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that
scientists who carried out post mortem examinations on the dead birds had
found large quantities of lead pellets fired at a clay pigeon range close
to the lake.“We believe the birds swallowed pellets fired from the range,”
he said adding it would only take a small amount of lead to poison the
birds. “These birds feed on shrimps from the bottom of the lake and at
night they congregate at the centre of the lake,” Andreou said.“Their beaks
are specially designed to sieve the mud and water from the lake bed leaving
only the shrimp and plankton in their beaks which they swallow. But because
the pellets are small they stay in the beak and are swallowed -- and lead
is a really toxic metal.” “The symptoms we have seen so far lead to the
assumption that lead poisoning is the cause of death.”But Andreou cautioned
the Veterinary Services' findings were based only on preliminary
examinations.“We have sent mud and water samples for toxicological and
forensic examination and I am sure the results will shed more light into
the issue,” Andreou said. House Environment Committee president George
Lillikas of AKEL told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that if it was lead
poisoning that had killed the flamingos then the entire salt lake would
have to be thoroughly cleaned.“It is still unclear whether the death of the
birds was caused by lead poisoning, but if that is the case, the entire
salt lake should be emptied and cleaned to prevent more deaths, something
that would cost a lot of money,” Lillikas said, pledging to have the
shooting range removed from the area.“We will bring the matter up when the
House reopens after the elections and we will do everything within our
power to see whether we can have the clay pigeon range removed or have the
shooters fire in another direction so the pellets don't fall into the salt
lake,” Lillikas said. Green Party deputy George Perdikis said yesterday it
was high time the shooting range as well as other issues around the salt
lake were addressed by the government in order to safeguard the future of
the birds.“That shooting range is illegal,” he claimed.“We have been saying
this all the time but I will say it again, the government does not care.
They don't care about the sewage pipe that will be built around the lake
and they don't care that the airport has taken over some of the area
designated for the wetlands.”Perdikis said the greens had taken their own
samples and sent them for examination.“We cannot at this time be certain
that the death of the flamingos was caused by the lead pellets,” he
said.“However, we will wait for the results of our examination and then we
will act. If the cause of the problem is the shooting range then I can't
wait until we have enough money to buy a bulldozer and tear the whole place
down.”
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Thursday, February 13, 2003
[06] One missing as bad weather floods rivers and blocks roadsBy Tania
KhadderA 60-YEAR-OLD bus driver was missing last night after his vehicle
was swept away by a river which broke its banks due to the heavy rains,
police said.The man had just dropped off his passengers - mainly pupils -
at around 7pm, when his mini-bus was swept by the Yialias river in Pera
Horio Nisou near Nicosia.Information on the situation was scarce as police
at 11.40pm said they were still looking for the man while reports claimed
he was found inside the bus.His condition was not made known.Stormy weather
battered the whole of Cyprus yesterday causing rivers to burst their banks
and rendering roads dangerous.The problem was worse in Nicosia where at
least one bridge was swept away by the Pedhieos river while police warned
residents living near its banks to be on alert throughout the night.Three
flights delayed their departure from Paphos airport and an inbound flight
was directed to Larnaca due to a hail storm and ice on the runway.The fire
service said it responded to over 150 distress calls around the island
relating to flooded dwellings and stranded drivers.The island's lowest
lowland temperature was felt in Nicosia at 6C, with the highest being in
Paphos at 15C.Across the island, the heavy rain was accompanied by strong
winds blowing south westerly at force 5-6.In the Troodos Mountains, all
four roads to the summit were inaccessible to cars not equipped with four-
wheel drive. The road between Platres and Psilodendro was also closed as a
result of the storm. Between Limassol and Paphos, roads remained open but
with heavy rain and thick fog in the area, police warned drivers to be
cautious and to avoid any unnecessary journeys.According to the Larnaca
Meterological office, the weather will stay the same today, with showers
expected with possible thunderstorms.Sleet and snow will cover the highest
peaks of the Troodos Mountains over 5,500 feet, though a significant
accumulation of snow is not expected in the next few days. The occasional
heavy showers, high wind and low temperatures were not unusual for this
time of year, the Larnaca Meteorological office said.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Thursday, February 13, 2003
[07] Limassol mosque reopens as search begins for an imamBy Sofia KannasTHE
KEBIR Mosque in Limassol has opened for the first time since the Turkish
invasion in 1974, the Turkish Cypriot Properties Administration in the city
confirmed yesterday.The mosque, which has been disused for more than 30
years, was re-opened on Tuesday after the completion of extensive
renovation work sponsored by the government.Ayhan Mehmet, representative of
the Turkish Cypriot community in Limassol and member of the 'Cyprus belongs
to Cypriots' organisation, told the Cyprus Mail the opening of the mosque
had coincided with the start of the three-day bayram celebrations.“We were
expecting President Glafcos Clerides to come and officially open the mosque
but he was unwell, so we went ahead with the opening ceremony. But we have
left the ribbon intact so we hope he can come and cut it soon.“The
President donated 350 kilos of lamb for our feast, which was shared among
90 families. He also sent us a carpet for the mosque,” he added. Mehmet
said the 600 Turkish Cypriots in Limassol were delighted at the reopening
of the mosque after so many years.“We are very pleased. It's the first time
the Turkish Cypriots have had their own mosque in over 30 years.”All that
remains is for an imam to be found for the mosque.“We need an imam, but we
want a Turkish Cypriot either from the north or from the United Kingdom. We
don't want an Arab or a Turk from the mainland. We are Cypriots and we want
some one who really represents us.“We are going to try and get in touch
with the UN so that they can maybe help us find a Turkish Cypriot from the
north. If not, we have some contacts in the UK.”Mehmet expressed his
community's gratitude to President Clerides' government for sponsoring the
project, saying: “We thank Mr Clerides and the Republic of Cyprus for
helping reopen the mosque.“We are now considering requesting the opening of
a Turkish primary school in Limassol. We'd like to reopen one and we hope
the government can help again.”Nicos Antoniades, a senior officer at the
Turkish Cypriot Properties Administration in Limassol said the renovation
project, which began at the beginning of the month, had cost £7,000.“The
Turkish Cypriot Properties Administration has spent £7,000 on restoring the
Kebir mosque. It has been painted inside and out, toilet facilities have
been added, and the balcony leading to the top of the minaret has also been
reconstructed.“We are very pleased with the project. The President showed
his interest in the scheme and we responded quickly to the request for the
mosque's renovation. The Turkish Cypriots are very pleased at the outcome,”
he added.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Thursday, February 13, 2003
[08] Feeling Alive for Eurovision By Tania KhadderCYPRUS has made its
choice for Eurovision 2003, with Stelios Constantas set to represent the
island with his upbeat pop love song 'Feeling Alive'.Constantas was chosen
by a three-member panel made up of composer Lia Vissi, lyricist Evi Proutsa
and CyBC official Manios Skordis, who listened through a total of 52
entries. The songs lyrics are entirely in English, which may seem an
unlikely representative for Cyprus. “The main reason it's in English is
that it is an international competition, and I thought the judges would
vote better if they could understand the song,” Constantas told the Cyprus
Mail yesterday.The song was not, however, written specifically for the
competition. It was a song he was planning to put on his upcoming album,
but he finally decided to use it for the Eurovision. The composer has been
writing music for 11 years, during which he has worked with famous Greek
and Cypriot artists, and released four albums. Born and raised in Cyprus,
Constantas has been living in Greece for the last few years, but is now
spending some time in Cyprus to relax and prepare for the competition.
“It's too early to get too excited, I'm just trying to prepare the song. I
will go to Greece to rearrange it because that's where I wrote it.“I
believe in it very much, so I hope that it will score well in the contest,”
he added.The 2003 Eurovision Song Contest will take place on May 24 in Riga,
Latvia.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
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