|
|
|
Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-02-14
Friday, February 14, 2003
CONTENTS
[01] UN: Annan will visit CyprusBy Alexia SaoulliU.N. Secretary-general
Kofi Annan is coming to Cyprus for a two-day visit on February 26, UN
special envoy Alvaro de Soto said yesterday.He informed President Glafcos
Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash of the visit by telephone
after a scheduled meeting in New York between Annan and the island's
British and US envoys, Lord David Hannay and Ambassador Thomas
Weston.Sources told the Cyprus News Agency the meeting aimed to review the
current political situation on the island and would examine the prospects
of a settlement within the framework of the February 28 deadline.De Soto is
due back in Cyprus in time for today's meeting between Clerides and
Dentkash, while Weston is due to arrive on the island on February 21, only
three days before Annan's scheduled visit to Ankara and Athens, followed by
his visit in Nicosia.Washington still believes a solution to the Cyprus
problem can be achieved by the end of February, US Ambassador Michael
Klosson said yesterday.Speaking to journalists following his meeting with
Clerides, Klosson said the US was strongly committed - at the highest level
- to a settlement based on Annan's solution plan.“Time is certainly getting
shorter and the US is leaving no stone unturned,” he said, expressing US
support for the Secretary-general's good offices mission.In view of next
week's dialogue between Greece and Turkey on security issues connected to a
potential peace agreement and yesterday's New York meeting, Klosson
expressed a sense of hope and reiterated US commitment to the UN efforts.
He also recalled the encouragement Weston met during recent meetings in
Turkey.“We think it is still possible (to find a negotiated settlement by
the end of February),” said Klosson, but added it was up to Annan whether
or not a Camp David type of negotiation would be suitable for Cyprus at
this time.As well as discussing the Cyprus problem during his meeting with
Clerides, Klosson also outlined US positions with regard to the current
crisis in Iraq, and said Washington appreciated the support Cyprus offered
in the war against terrorism.“In the war against terrorism, Cyprus has been
a very strong partner and we have really appreciated the support they have
been providing,” he said.
[02] Limassol police warn of more burglaries after 48-hour spreeBy Sofia
KannasTHERE has been a spate of burglaries in Limassol over the last 48
hours, police confirmed yesterday.Up to 17 separate break-ins occurred on
Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in around £50,000-worth of jewellery and
money being stolen from private houses and apartments in the Limassol
area.Limassol Assistant Chief of Police Andreas Karyolemos told the Cyprus
Mail yesterday that this type of break-in had been seen in Cyprus before in
recent months.“We are talking about a sudden wave of burglaries lasting a
few days -- we have seen this phenomenon before. “We suspect most of the
burglaries were carried out by foreigners who come to Cyprus for a few days
and the return to their countries with the stolen goods.“Of course we are
not ruling out that Cypriots were involved, but usually when we see a
sudden spate of burglaries like this, it means its more likely
foreigners.”Karyolemos said the fact that money and jewellery were stolen
also suggested foreign criminals had been at work.“Over the last couple of
days it has been only cash and jewellery stolen. If the burglars were local
they would probably take DVD players for example, or bigger items. But
money and jewellery are more easy to transport overseas on a plane, so this
is why we suspect foreign criminal gangs in this case.”Asked when the
burglaries took place, Karyolemos said incidents took place in day time as
well as in the evenings.“Sometimes the burglars rang the bell to see if
anyone was home and if no one answered then they would break in to the
house or apartment.“But sometimes it's clear that houses or flats are empty
-- maybe their owners are out or on holiday -- and then criminals
strike.“It also seems the criminals target houses and apartments which
appear more affluent, where they think they might find something
valuable.”He also said it was possible that another flurry of activity
would take place in the next few days.“Usually, they carry out some
burglaries when they arrive on the island, and then strike again just
before they leave the island.”Karyolemos advised the public to be vigilant
over the next few days, saying,“We suggest that people take care to put any
valuables in a secure place. It's also advisable that people close and lock
their windows and doors when they leave their homes empty.“But we have put
on special patrols especially to try and clamp down on these incidents, and
we hope this will help.“Burglaries are the most common form of crime in
Cyprus. Up to 75 per cent of crimes are burglaries and thefts,” he added.
[03] CyTA agrees to union demand for more bonusesBy Stefanos EvripidouAN
AGREEMENT has been reached between CyTA management and unions over the
allocation of merit-based bonuses to cover the past two years after a two-
hour strike held a month ago forced the two sides to the negotiating
table.The dispute erupted when management implemented a new motivational
scheme last year, the first of its kind in Cyprus, paying out bonuses to
deserving employees at the end of each year. Under the new Personnel
Performance and Remuneration Management System, letters are sent out to
employees at the end of the year informing them whether they had been
nominated for a bonus or not.Unions called a strike when the letters left
30 per cent of employees without a bonus. After a month of negotiations,
CyTA has agreed to give more than the original two thirds of employees a
bonus for the years 2001 and 2002.CyTA spokesman Paris Menelaou would not
confirm or deny reports that the allocation of bonuses now reached 93 per
cent of employees. “We have agreed a bonus for the last two years which
covers more employees than before. However, talks will continue to decide
on the future allocation of bonuses. The system will not be implemented
again until an agreement has been reached,” he said.The new bonus budget
reached £550,00, confirmed Menelaou. The two sides also agreed that 70 per
cent of the budget would be given to selected individuals, allocated
according to productivity, while the remaining 30 per cent would be shared
out equally between the chosen individuals on a group basis. The employees
nominated for bonuses will be divided into four different categories,
reflecting the size of the bonus.“We believe that the incentive system will
work once everyone gets used to it. It's not just about the money. It
provides an extra layer of encouragement which was previously missing,”
said Menelaou. “This type of scheme is happening for the first time in any
organisation in Cyprus. It's forward thinking and quite brave,” he added.
[04] Rivals clash over share probe revelationsBy Sofia KannasAKEL yesterday
lashed out at Christos Pourgourides, after the Chairman of the House
Watchdog Committee said the findings of a criminal investigation by the
Attorney-general's office proved presidential candidate Tassos Papadopoulos
was implicated in the defrauding of investors.Speaking yesterday,
Pourgourides said the report, which was submitted to the Attorney-general's
office on December 16 last year, clearly implicated Papadopoulos in the
swindling of public investors in Claridge Investments Ltd. between July
1999 and March 2000.“As the two criminal investigators said, it's a well
set up trap… I would give up my candidacy if I was Mr Papadopoulos.”Pourgourides
also dismissed Alecos Markides' comments on Wednesday that Papadopoulos had
merely acted as legal advisor for the company, and not actually sold shares
to the unsuspecting public.“I am both furious and amazed that Mr Markides
has managed to come to this conclusion without even studying the report. I
got it yesterday and have studied it in depth.“And what does it matter if
Mr Papadopoulos has sold his shares or not?… What does selling shares have
to do with an offence like a conspiracy to defraud investors?”Speaking at a
news conference yesterday, AKEL deputy Andros Kyprianou responded angrily
to Pourgourides' comments, saying: “Mr Pourgourides' comments and behaviour
are clearly down to pre-election expediency, a fact which makes him little
more than a public mudslinger, and discredits him as Watchdog Chairman.“I
wonder where he got this report from and I wonder why, as Chairman of the
Watchdog Committee, he didn't see it fit to show this information to the
Committee,” he added.AKEL's George Lillikas also questioned why the report
into Claridge's Board members had been made public by the Cyprus Investors'
Association.“How and why did this report get into the hands of the
Association and not Parliament's? Where did the leak come from?”DIKO Deputy
and President of the Finance Committee Marcos Kyprianou joined the assault
on Pourgourides, saying the Chairman's comments undermined any attempt to
punish the real offenders in the stock market scandal.Papadopoulos
yesterday hit back at allegations that he was involved in defrauding
unsuspecting Claridge investors and dismissed suggestions that shares in
the company were deliberately split and sold to allow major shareholders to
make financial gains at the investors' expense.The presidential candidate
told journalists that he welcomed the investigation into Claridge, and
proclaimed his innocence, saying he had nothing to fear from the
investigation findings.“Both Mr Markides, the Attorney-general… and the
Deputy Attorney-general… have said that there is no investigation against
me and no indication of my involvement in the case.”Papadopoulos also said
his innocence could be proved by the fact that he had never sold his shares
in the company to the public.“I have as many shares today as I had when I
first became a shareholder and I did not therefore attempt to offload a
single share.”
[05] Flying the voters in: Papadopoulos backers block 55 per cent of
seatsBy Sofia KannasUP TO 15,000 seats on Cyprus Airways flights are
expected to be filled this week by voters flying in to Cyprus for the
Presidential elections on Sunday, the national carrier confirmed
yesterday.Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Cyprus Airways Spokesman Tassos
Angelides said most of the voters flying in from abroad this week were
students.“They are mainly students, but there are also voters who work
abroad flying in.“We offered 15,000 seats to voters, half on our regular
flights and the other half on the 29 extra flights we will operate this
week and the next week. Of course it doesn't mean all these seats will
definitely be utilised. But all the flights are fully booked at the
moment.“Our Saturday flights are full of voters, and some other voters will
come next week if there is a second round.”Asked how many seats had been
reserved by the different political parties, Angelis said Cyprus Airways
had met with party representatives to discuss the issue of seats for voters,
and had allocated places accordingly.“The parties all agreed on a
proportion of seats to be allocated and we allocated seats according to
this ratio.“55 per cent of seats will go to Papadopoulos voters, 35 per
cent to Clerides voters and 10 per cent for Markides. If there is a second
round then we agreed 55 per cent for Papadopoulos and 45 per cent for
Clerides. Angelis dismissed allegations from the New Horizons Party that
the national carrier had refused to give their voters seats.“There is not
the least bit of truth in these allegations. We called all the parties to
attend a meeting in January to discuss the issue of seats and they didn't
turn up. We even called them and they said they weren't interested.“Later
they rang us and gave us a list of 63 people they needed seats for. And of
course we said we would do our best -- in fact we accommodated most of them
or at least suggested alternatives.“But I don't know why they have created
this fuss, the allegations are unjustified.”The spokesman also played down
suggestions that the airline would reap huge profits from the extra seats
booked as a result of the elections.“I'm not going to disclose fees but I
can say that we offered the parties special fares at reduced prices. Also,
the extra flights we are laying on are directional flights with one leg
empty, so it's not actually as profitable for us as people think. But as a
national carrier we are doing this to assist our citizens.”Another source
at Cyprus Airways said prices for flights to Cyprus for the election would
be around £70 from Crete, £75 from Athens, £85 from Salonica and £140 from
London and the Gulf.
[06] Shooting range to be moved after flamingo deathsBy Alex
MitaAGRICULTURE Minister Costas Themistocleous said yesterday a clay pigeon
shooting range next to the Larnaca Salt Lake should be removed after lead
pellets fired over the lake caused the death of over 40 flamingos.Speaking
after a visit to the lake, where he was briefed on the death of the
flamingos, Themistocleous said examinations on the birds made it clear that
their death had been caused by lead poisoning. “Unfortunately we have lost
40 flamingos, 30 of which were taken to the Veterinary Services for post
mortem examination,” he said.“The examination carried out by the veterinary
service confirmed fears that the birds had died from lead poisoning after
swallowing pellets that had landed in the lake from the nearby firing
range.“These finding stress the need for the immediate removal of the
shooting range from the area to prevent any more deaths,” he
added.Themistocleous said the decision to have the shooting range removed
from the area had been taken a long time ago.“Removing the shooting range
from the vicinity of the lake is part of a multi-million project to
safeguard the lake,” he said. Themistocleous said an area had been
designated for the shooting range but noted problems over the cost of
moving the range had been raised by the Cyprus Athletics Organisation,
which is handling the issue.“We all understand that the steps must be taken
to have the shooting range relocated as soon as possible,” Themistocleous
said.“On our part, we will try and remove the birds from the dangerous area
of the lake, which is relatively small and is close to the shooting
range.”Themistocleous said the reason the shooting range had not been moved
earlier was because the government couldn't find a suitable location.“The
relevant services will make sure that the birds don't go near the area
until the shooting range is removed.”However, it remains unclear what steps
the government will take after the shooting range is removed, since the
lead pellets will still be on the lake bed, The president of the House
Environment Committee George Lillikas told the Cyprus Mail on Wednesday the
lake would almost certainly need to be cleaned and the pellets removed and
warned the project would be very costly.
[07] Flooded refugees' despair at empty promisesBy Alexia SaoulliTHE
NICOSIA Town Planning Department yesterday promised they would begin
repairs on leaking refugee homes in April.But it was little comfort to
flooded residents living in the area, who slammed the pledge as just
another “false promise”; they accused the government of delaying work with
cheap excuses.The department had originally said it would start
construction work to replace damaged waterproof membranes on the roofs of
homes in Strovolos Refugee Estate 3 in January. Because of recent
torrential rains, however, repairs would not begin until the spring, said
Town Planning Department official, Froso Tryfonos.This was not the first
time the date for beginning construction work had been pushed forward.
Residents living on Kallikratous Street have been hearing this story for
four years now. Frustrated tenants say their homes are regularly flooded
whenever there is heavy rain; seasons come and go, walls and floors are
destroyed, plaster drops off and wallpaper flakes and still the repair team
fails to make an appearance. In December, they said they would be by in
January and now they were saying April: “I just don't trust them any more,”
said one of the tenants, Michalis Constantinou.“They promised repair teams
would be by after the holiday, but they didn't step foot on the street,”
added his wife, Eleni. This week's miserable weather has only made things
worse. “It rained all last night. Eventually I was forced to move furniture
to the driest side of the house in order to limit damage,” she said.
Unfortunately their 26-year-old daughter was not so lucky and her small
bedroom was soaked through.Because of the damp, the family frequently
suffered bouts of the flu during winter. “It's freezing in the house when
the walls are swollen with water that has seeped in through the roof.”It
was not surprising their home had flooded, she said. The flat roof looked
like a swimming pool, with at least 10 centimetres of rainwater because a
damaged drainage system and old pipes prevented the water from being
drained away efficiently, explained Eleni.“We don't even know how secure
the roof is. It could collapse under the weight of water and topple on top
of us for all we know,” she added.The Town Planning official expressed her
sympathy at the residents' plight, but said large-scale projects such as
these took time and could not begin during the rainy season.“We are aware
this street has a lot of problems. In fact most of the homes on the estate
need to be repaired,” Tryfonos said. “But these repairs cannot miraculously
take place overnight. It takes time.”The repairs will include replacing
water tanks, solar heaters and plumbing. Old and damaged waterproof
membranes on roofs would also be replaced, she said.“This has to be done
when it's dry because once the old membranes are removed, the homes are
left exposed for a few days while workmen carry out their repairs. This
would make things worse for the tenants if it rained,” said Tryfonos. “In
April, we are starting a large project with a new contractor. Because it
will be dry in the spring and summer we will be able to get a lot of work
done quickly and complete almost the entire area,” promised Tryfonos. But
Constantinou said: “The rain is just an excuse. There were plenty of dry
days after Christmas when they could have done some repair work. In fact,
construction workers were on the estate, but didn't come by our street.
They told us they would be moving on to another area and that they wouldn't
be back. They tell you one thing and they tell us another. What do you
believe?”Did he believe the workers would be there in April?“No I don't.
I've lost all faith in their empty promises. This will be the fourth year
we're betrayed,” he said.
[08] Water levels surge across the island's damsBy Stefanos EvripidouTHERE
is a bright side for people sheltering from the storm, according to
Agriculture Minister, Costas Themistocleous, who announced yesterday that
relentless rainfall yesterday and the day before helped exceed average
rainfall figures for the whole of February by 12 per cent.“At this time,
for the month of February we have covered 112 per cent of average rainfall.
Whereas on Wednesday we were around 50 per cent, we have now risen to 112
per cent for this month,” said Themistocleous.Over six million cubic metres
of rainfall rushed into 17 dams within a 24-hour period, bringing total
storage in the dams to 133 million cubic metres. Total storage capacity of
the dams is at 49 per cent, informed Themistocleous, two per cent higher
than at the same time last year.The minister said that total rainfall from
October until now was at 91 per cent of average, but that the situation was
satisfactory.Fedros Roussis from the Water Development Department said that
although total rainfall from October to February was less than last year's
figures, storage capacity was looking good. “This year started off with 103
million cubic metres in the dams, compared to the start of last year when
we only had 16 million in storage,” said Roussis.“We are expecting another
3 or 4 million today just from the rivers and streams, without further rain,
” he said.The record rainfall was recorded on January 10, 1989 when Kourris
Dam alone registered an inflow of 6 million cubic metres, while the
country's 17 dams enjoyed a 22 million flow in 24 hours.Kyriacos Theophilou,
head of the Meteorological Services, said that the combination of whipping
tornados and torrential rain was not so unusual for this time of year,
describing it as typical winter weather. “If it wasn't for the jet stream
in the west, we would have experienced heavy rain earlier, but the jet
stream got in the way, delaying it a little,” said Theophilou. The wet
weather approached from the west, arriving in full force yesterday. “We
expect it to move east today between noontime and afternoon. Meanwhile, the
weather will continue to be cloudy, rainy, with storms and some snowfall in
the mountains but to a lesser extent,” he said.Less clouds and rain are
predicted for Saturday, while Sunday is expecting fine weather with a few
clouds at high altitudes. “Every year we get two or three tornados, maybe
not as intense, but they usually pass over fields. This year we felt the
pinch because it was in a residential area in Limassol,” said Theophilou.
[09] Gearing up for Valentine'sBy Tania KhadderAPHRODITE must be smiling.
As the modern mortals who inhabit her birthplace celebrate Valentine's Day
with growing enthusiasm, her son Eros is working overtime.In mythological
times, it was Eros (Cupid) who shot golden arrows into the hearts of those
his mother wanted to unite in marriage. He has since become one of the
holiday's most recognizable symbols.These days, however, it is Cyprus'
service industries that are doing all the work to help bring lovers
together. Restaurants and hotels are fully booked with a variety of special
options for the occasion. Flower shops are delivering tokens of love
throughout the island, while lingerie and sex shops play a late-night role
in the festivities. “Tomorrow night will be crazy,” Ghazi Mroueh, manager
at Abu Faysal restaurant in Nicosia, said yesterday. “It is one night where
we see so many customers we've never seen before.” More than ever before,
couples in Cyprus are taking an interest in Valentine's Day, and businesses
are feeling, and reacting to, the boom. Let's face it: love sells.“It is
definitely a bigger holiday now, and is more commercial,” Mroueh added. But
even before couples had to go out for Valentine's Day, giving flowers to
loved ones was a traditional form of expression. This remains the case now,
as flower shops all over the island yesterday claimed to be busy arranging
special orders.As expected, roses are the most sought after token of
affection, with a dozen ranging from £12 to £20. Roses arranged in the
shape of the heart, and festive vases are also popular.Those with
reservations at Abu Faysal's can do Valentine's Day Lebanese-style and dine
on heart-shaped falafels. At Pralina's, lovers can take home heart-shaped
French terrine with oven-dried tomatoes, cream cheese and black olives.
Whereas Friday nights are often characterized by group outings, restaurants
say they will see mostly couples tonight. At Romantica restaurant in
Nicosia, only one party of four will break tonight's reservations for two,
manager Sophie Mercurio said. To celebrate the occasion, Mercurio said a
very special night has been planned, with a Valentine balloon décor and
complementary roses for men to give their ladies. The evening's
reservations have been divided into two shifts, for those choosing to dine
from 7.30-9.30pm or at 10pm. A full course meal including wine is available
at £20 for the early sitting, and £25 for the later one. “They pay more if
they come at ten, but the benefit is that they can stay as they long as
they want,” Mercurio said. Mercurio and Mroueh both had one qualm with
Valentine's Day this year: that it falls on a Friday. Because Friday nights
are always a busy night in the restaurant business, this year's special day
is not as profitable as it would be if it fell, say, on a Tuesday night.But
what happens when the heart-shaped goodies have been devoured, and the last
drop of wine has been sipped? Apparently, that's when the real fun
begins.At Intimissimi in Nicosia yesterday afternoon, the saleswoman was so
overwhelmed with clients she was unable to speak to the Cyprus Mail. And
the owner at Lover's sex shop in Nicosia said his sales have been excellent
this week, and that his biggest clientele would be in today. “It's always
busy on Valentine's Day,” he said. “People buy vibrators, lingerie, lotions
and massage oil.”He claims that, contrary to popular belief, many of his
customers are women and that last Thursday, as many as 70 women came into
his shop. “My shop helps people have a different kind of experience in the
bedroom. They can be more playful,” he added. He then went on to show his
more sentimental side.“Valentine's day is a very special day to show your
love, but people should show their love every day,” he said. Aphrodite must
be beaming with pride. Eros can retire.
[10] KOKO: the girl band eyeing the big timeBy Stefanos EvripidouFOUR girls
with talent, looks and youth on their side are in Cyprus to launch their
campaign to take over the world under the experienced direction of much-
travelled John Themis.Themis has worked with a multitude of top artists,
including Culture Club, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Dido, George Michael, Elton
John and Sinead O'Connor, apart from writing the number one British hit
single “What Took You So Long” by Emma Bunton.The band, KOKO, call
themselves British Cypriot Europeans with a bit of Irish. A valuable bit,
however, for as Irish contingent Joanna warns: “There's no room in this
outfit for any divas.”Their music is described as R'n'B Mediterranean,
Middle Eastern flavoured with a touch of pop. Their songs have been written
by the girls themselves, as well as acclaimed artists like Quincy Jones Jnr,
the Sugarbabes and Dane Bowers. The girls - Katerina, Joanna, Emily and
Nathalie - range from 16 to 20 years old. They all love to sing and dance
and hope to begin their march on popdom this Saturday on CyBC's
'Savatovrado' programme. They are all musically minded and best of all, can
sing very well. “I think, for myself and my sister (Katerina), our greatest
inspiration has been my father (Themis), who from six years of age fought
with his brother for his guitar and then taught himself to play to become a
great musician,” says Emily. The group refuse to become a flash of fame
that will burn out after a while. “People on stuff like Pop Idols have lots
of talent, but we feel sorry for them because they aren't taken seriously
and they'll always be considered pop idols,” say the group.Themis wanted to
bring the girls to Cyprus to remind them of their roots while easing them
into the spotlight. “This is an awareness campaign. We are hoping to get a
record deal soon but we don't want a career that's quick up, quick down,
like many in the business,” said Themis.His advice is: “You've got to have
your own ingredient and make your own cake”. When asked what his favourite
type of music is, given the extensive variety of artists he has worked with,
he replies that there are only two types: good and bad. “Good music comes
from the gods, the rest can go to hell.”
[01] UN: Annan will visit CyprusBy Alexia SaoulliU.N. Secretary-general
Kofi Annan is coming to Cyprus for a two-day visit on February 26, UN
special envoy Alvaro de Soto said yesterday.He informed President Glafcos
Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash of the visit by telephone
after a scheduled meeting in New York between Annan and the island's
British and US envoys, Lord David Hannay and Ambassador Thomas
Weston.Sources told the Cyprus News Agency the meeting aimed to review the
current political situation on the island and would examine the prospects
of a settlement within the framework of the February 28 deadline.De Soto is
due back in Cyprus in time for today's meeting between Clerides and
Dentkash, while Weston is due to arrive on the island on February 21, only
three days before Annan's scheduled visit to Ankara and Athens, followed by
his visit in Nicosia.Washington still believes a solution to the Cyprus
problem can be achieved by the end of February, US Ambassador Michael
Klosson said yesterday.Speaking to journalists following his meeting with
Clerides, Klosson said the US was strongly committed - at the highest level
- to a settlement based on Annan's solution plan.“Time is certainly getting
shorter and the US is leaving no stone unturned,” he said, expressing US
support for the Secretary-general's good offices mission.In view of next
week's dialogue between Greece and Turkey on security issues connected to a
potential peace agreement and yesterday's New York meeting, Klosson
expressed a sense of hope and reiterated US commitment to the UN efforts.
He also recalled the encouragement Weston met during recent meetings in
Turkey.“We think it is still possible (to find a negotiated settlement by
the end of February),” said Klosson, but added it was up to Annan whether
or not a Camp David type of negotiation would be suitable for Cyprus at
this time.As well as discussing the Cyprus problem during his meeting with
Clerides, Klosson also outlined US positions with regard to the current
crisis in Iraq, and said Washington appreciated the support Cyprus offered
in the war against terrorism.“In the war against terrorism, Cyprus has been
a very strong partner and we have really appreciated the support they have
been providing,” he said.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Friday, February 14, 2003
[02] Limassol police warn of more burglaries after 48-hour spreeBy Sofia
KannasTHERE has been a spate of burglaries in Limassol over the last 48
hours, police confirmed yesterday.Up to 17 separate break-ins occurred on
Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in around £50,000-worth of jewellery and
money being stolen from private houses and apartments in the Limassol
area.Limassol Assistant Chief of Police Andreas Karyolemos told the Cyprus
Mail yesterday that this type of break-in had been seen in Cyprus before
in recent months.“We are talking about a sudden wave of burglaries lasting
a few days -- we have seen this phenomenon before. “We suspect most of the
burglaries were carried out by foreigners who come to Cyprus for a few days
and the return to their countries with the stolen goods.“Of course we are
not ruling out that Cypriots were involved, but usually when we see a
sudden spate of burglaries like this, it means its more likely
foreigners.”Karyolemos said the fact that money and jewellery were stolen
also suggested foreign criminals had been at work.“Over the last couple of
days it has been only cash and jewellery stolen. If the burglars were local
they would probably take DVD players for example, or bigger items. But
money and jewellery are more easy to transport overseas on a plane, so this
is why we suspect foreign criminal gangs in this case.”Asked when the
burglaries took place, Karyolemos said incidents took place in day time as
well as in the evenings.“Sometimes the burglars rang the bell to see if
anyone was home and if no one answered then they would break in to the
house or apartment.“But sometimes it's clear that houses or flats are empty
-- maybe their owners are out or on holiday -- and then criminals
strike.“It also seems the criminals target houses and apartments which
appear more affluent, where they think they might find something
valuable.”He also said it was possible that another flurry of activity
would take place in the next few days.“Usually, they carry out some
burglaries when they arrive on the island, and then strike again just
before they leave the island.”Karyolemos advised the public to be vigilant
over the next few days, saying,“We suggest that people take care to put any
valuables in a secure place. It's also advisable that people close and lock
their windows and doors when they leave their homes empty.“But we have put
on special patrols especially to try and clamp down on these incidents, and
we hope this will help.“Burglaries are the most common form of crime in
Cyprus. Up to 75 per cent of crimes are burglaries and thefts,” he added.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Friday, February 14, 2003
[03] CyTA agrees to union demand for more bonusesBy Stefanos EvripidouAN
AGREEMENT has been reached between CyTA management and unions over the
allocation of merit-based bonuses to cover the past two years after a two-
hour strike held a month ago forced the two sides to the negotiating
table.The dispute erupted when management implemented a new motivational
scheme last year, the first of its kind in Cyprus, paying out bonuses to
deserving employees at the end of each year. Under the new Personnel
Performance and Remuneration Management System, letters are sent out to
employees at the end of the year informing them whether they had been
nominated for a bonus or not.Unions called a strike when the letters left
30 per cent of employees without a bonus. After a month of negotiations,
CyTA has agreed to give more than the original two thirds of employees a
bonus for the years 2001 and 2002.CyTA spokesman Paris Menelaou would not
confirm or deny reports that the allocation of bonuses now reached 93 per
cent of employees. “We have agreed a bonus for the last two years which
covers more employees than before. However, talks will continue to decide
on the future allocation of bonuses. The system will not be implemented
again until an agreement has been reached,” he said.The new bonus budget
reached £550,00, confirmed Menelaou. The two sides also agreed that 70 per
cent of the budget would be given to selected individuals, allocated
according to productivity, while the remaining 30 per cent would be shared
out equally between the chosen individuals on a group basis. The employees
nominated for bonuses will be divided into four different categories,
reflecting the size of the bonus.“We believe that the incentive system will
work once everyone gets used to it. It's not just about the money. It
provides an extra layer of encouragement which was previously missing,”
said Menelaou. “This type of scheme is happening for the first time in any
organisation in Cyprus. It's forward thinking and quite brave,” he added.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Friday, February 14, 2003
[04] Rivals clash over share probe revelationsBy Sofia KannasAKEL yesterday
lashed out at Christos Pourgourides, after the Chairman of the House
Watchdog Committee said the findings of a criminal investigation by the
Attorney-general's office proved presidential candidate Tassos Papadopoulos
was implicated in the defrauding of investors.Speaking yesterday,
Pourgourides said the report, which was submitted to the Attorney-general's
office on December 16 last year, clearly implicated Papadopoulos in the
swindling of public investors in Claridge Investments Ltd. between July
1999 and March 2000.“As the two criminal investigators said, it's a well
set up trap… I would give up my candidacy if I was Mr Papadopoulos.”Pourgourides
also dismissed Alecos Markides' comments on Wednesday that Papadopoulos had
merely acted as legal advisor for the company, and not actually sold shares
to the unsuspecting public.“I am both furious and amazed that Mr Markides
has managed to come to this conclusion without even studying the report. I
got it yesterday and have studied it in depth.“And what does it matter if
Mr Papadopoulos has sold his shares or not?… What does selling shares have
to do with an offence like a conspiracy to defraud investors?”Speaking at a
news conference yesterday, AKEL deputy Andros Kyprianou responded angrily
to Pourgourides' comments, saying: “Mr Pourgourides' comments and behaviour
are clearly down to pre-election expediency, a fact which makes him little
more than a public mudslinger, and discredits him as Watchdog Chairman.“I
wonder where he got this report from and I wonder why, as Chairman of the
Watchdog Committee, he didn't see it fit to show this information to the
Committee,” he added.AKEL's George Lillikas also questioned why the report
into Claridge's Board members had been made public by the Cyprus Investors'
Association.“How and why did this report get into the hands of the
Association and not Parliament's? Where did the leak come from?”DIKO Deputy
and President of the Finance Committee Marcos Kyprianou joined the assault
on Pourgourides, saying the Chairman's comments undermined any attempt to
punish the real offenders in the stock market scandal.Papadopoulos
yesterday hit back at allegations that he was involved in defrauding
unsuspecting Claridge investors and dismissed suggestions that shares in
the company were deliberately split and sold to allow major shareholders to
make financial gains at the investors' expense.The presidential candidate
told journalists that he welcomed the investigation into Claridge, and
proclaimed his innocence, saying he had nothing to fear from the
investigation findings.“Both Mr Markides, the Attorney-general… and the
Deputy Attorney-general… have said that there is no investigation against
me and no indication of my involvement in the case.”Papadopoulos also said
his innocence could be proved by the fact that he had never sold his shares
in the company to the public.“I have as many shares today as I had when I
first became a shareholder and I did not therefore attempt to offload a
single share.”
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Friday, February 14, 2003
[05] Flying the voters in: Papadopoulos backers block 55 per cent of
seatsBy Sofia KannasUP TO 15,000 seats on Cyprus Airways flights are
expected to be filled this week by voters flying in to Cyprus for the
Presidential elections on Sunday, the national carrier confirmed
yesterday.Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Cyprus Airways Spokesman Tassos
Angelides said most of the voters flying in from abroad this week were
students.“They are mainly students, but there are also voters who work
abroad flying in.“We offered 15,000 seats to voters, half on our regular
flights and the other half on the 29 extra flights we will operate this
week and the next week. Of course it doesn't mean all these seats will
definitely be utilised. But all the flights are fully booked at the
moment.“Our Saturday flights are full of voters, and some other voters will
come next week if there is a second round.”Asked how many seats had been
reserved by the different political parties, Angelis said Cyprus Airways
had met with party representatives to discuss the issue of seats for voters,
and had allocated places accordingly.“The parties all agreed on a
proportion of seats to be allocated and we allocated seats according to
this ratio.“55 per cent of seats will go to Papadopoulos voters, 35 per
cent to Clerides voters and 10 per cent for Markides. If there is a second
round then we agreed 55 per cent for Papadopoulos and 45 per cent for
Clerides. Angelis dismissed allegations from the New Horizons Party that
the national carrier had refused to give their voters seats.“There is not
the least bit of truth in these allegations. We called all the parties to
attend a meeting in January to discuss the issue of seats and they didn't
turn up. We even called them and they said they weren't interested.“Later
they rang us and gave us a list of 63 people they needed seats for. And of
course we said we would do our best -- in fact we accommodated most of them
or at least suggested alternatives.“But I don't know why they have created
this fuss, the allegations are unjustified.”The spokesman also played down
suggestions that the airline would reap huge profits from the extra seats
booked as a result of the elections.“I'm not going to disclose fees but I
can say that we offered the parties special fares at reduced prices. Also,
the extra flights we are laying on are directional flights with one leg
empty, so it's not actually as profitable for us as people think. But as a
national carrier we are doing this to assist our citizens.”Another source
at Cyprus Airways said prices for flights to Cyprus for the election would
be around £70 from Crete, £75 from Athens, £85 from Salonica and £140 from
London and the Gulf.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Friday, February 14, 2003
[06] Shooting range to be moved after flamingo deathsBy Alex
MitaAGRICULTURE Minister Costas Themistocleous said yesterday a clay pigeon
shooting range next to the Larnaca Salt Lake should be removed after lead
pellets fired over the lake caused the death of over 40 flamingos.Speaking
after a visit to the lake, where he was briefed on the death of the
flamingos, Themistocleous said examinations on the birds made it clear that
their death had been caused by lead poisoning. “Unfortunately we have lost
40 flamingos, 30 of which were taken to the Veterinary Services for post
mortem examination,” he said.“The examination carried out by the veterinary
service confirmed fears that the birds had died from lead poisoning after
swallowing pellets that had landed in the lake from the nearby firing
range.“These finding stress the need for the immediate removal of the
shooting range from the area to prevent any more deaths,” he
added.Themistocleous said the decision to have the shooting range removed
from the area had been taken a long time ago.“Removing the shooting range
from the vicinity of the lake is part of a multi-million project to
safeguard the lake,” he said. Themistocleous said an area had been
designated for the shooting range but noted problems over the cost of
moving the range had been raised by the Cyprus Athletics Organisation,
which is handling the issue.“We all understand that the steps must be taken
to have the shooting range relocated as soon as possible,” Themistocleous
said.“On our part, we will try and remove the birds from the dangerous area
of the lake, which is relatively small and is close to the shooting
range.”Themistocleous said the reason the shooting range had not been moved
earlier was because the government couldn't find a suitable location.“The
relevant services will make sure that the birds don't go near the area
until the shooting range is removed.”However, it remains unclear what steps
the government will take after the shooting range is removed, since the
lead pellets will still be on the lake bed, The president of the House
Environment Committee George Lillikas told the Cyprus Mail on Wednesday
the lake would almost certainly need to be cleaned and the pellets removed
and warned the project would be very costly.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Friday, February 14, 2003
[07] Flooded refugees' despair at empty promisesBy Alexia SaoulliTHE
NICOSIA Town Planning Department yesterday promised they would begin
repairs on leaking refugee homes in April.But it was little comfort to
flooded residents living in the area, who slammed the pledge as just
another “false promise”; they accused the government of delaying work with
cheap excuses.The department had originally said it would start
construction work to replace damaged waterproof membranes on the roofs of
homes in Strovolos Refugee Estate 3 in January. Because of recent
torrential rains, however, repairs would not begin until the spring, said
Town Planning Department official, Froso Tryfonos.This was not the first
time the date for beginning construction work had been pushed forward.
Residents living on Kallikratous Street have been hearing this story for
four years now. Frustrated tenants say their homes are regularly flooded
whenever there is heavy rain; seasons come and go, walls and floors are
destroyed, plaster drops off and wallpaper flakes and still the repair team
fails to make an appearance. In December, they said they would be by in
January and now they were saying April: “I just don't trust them any more,”
said one of the tenants, Michalis Constantinou.“They promised repair teams
would be by after the holiday, but they didn't step foot on the street,”
added his wife, Eleni. This week's miserable weather has only made things
worse. “It rained all last night. Eventually I was forced to move furniture
to the driest side of the house in order to limit damage,” she said.
Unfortunately their 26-year-old daughter was not so lucky and her small
bedroom was soaked through.Because of the damp, the family frequently
suffered bouts of the flu during winter. “It's freezing in the house when
the walls are swollen with water that has seeped in through the roof.”It
was not surprising their home had flooded, she said. The flat roof looked
like a swimming pool, with at least 10 centimetres of rainwater because a
damaged drainage system and old pipes prevented the water from being
drained away efficiently, explained Eleni.“We don't even know how secure
the roof is. It could collapse under the weight of water and topple on top
of us for all we know,” she added.The Town Planning official expressed her
sympathy at the residents' plight, but said large-scale projects such as
these took time and could not begin during the rainy season.“We are aware
this street has a lot of problems. In fact most of the homes on the estate
need to be repaired,” Tryfonos said. “But these repairs cannot miraculously
take place overnight. It takes time.”The repairs will include replacing
water tanks, solar heaters and plumbing. Old and damaged waterproof
membranes on roofs would also be replaced, she said.“This has to be done
when it's dry because once the old membranes are removed, the homes are
left exposed for a few days while workmen carry out their repairs. This
would make things worse for the tenants if it rained,” said Tryfonos. “In
April, we are starting a large project with a new contractor. Because it
will be dry in the spring and summer we will be able to get a lot of work
done quickly and complete almost the entire area,” promised Tryfonos. But
Constantinou said: “The rain is just an excuse. There were plenty of dry
days after Christmas when they could have done some repair work. In fact,
construction workers were on the estate, but didn't come by our street.
They told us they would be moving on to another area and that they wouldn't
be back. They tell you one thing and they tell us another. What do you
believe?”Did he believe the workers would be there in April?“No I don't.
I've lost all faith in their empty promises. This will be the fourth year
we're betrayed,” he said.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Friday, February 14, 2003
[08] Water levels surge across the island's damsBy Stefanos EvripidouTHERE
is a bright side for people sheltering from the storm, according to
Agriculture Minister, Costas Themistocleous, who announced yesterday that
relentless rainfall yesterday and the day before helped exceed average
rainfall figures for the whole of February by 12 per cent.“At this time,
for the month of February we have covered 112 per cent of average rainfall.
Whereas on Wednesday we were around 50 per cent, we have now risen to 112
per cent for this month,” said Themistocleous.Over six million cubic metres
of rainfall rushed into 17 dams within a 24-hour period, bringing total
storage in the dams to 133 million cubic metres. Total storage capacity of
the dams is at 49 per cent, informed Themistocleous, two per cent higher
than at the same time last year.The minister said that total rainfall from
October until now was at 91 per cent of average, but that the situation was
satisfactory.Fedros Roussis from the Water Development Department said that
although total rainfall from October to February was less than last year's
figures, storage capacity was looking good. “This year started off with 103
million cubic metres in the dams, compared to the start of last year when
we only had 16 million in storage,” said Roussis.“We are expecting another
3 or 4 million today just from the rivers and streams, without further rain,
” he said.The record rainfall was recorded on January 10, 1989 when Kourris
Dam alone registered an inflow of 6 million cubic metres, while the
country's 17 dams enjoyed a 22 million flow in 24 hours.Kyriacos Theophilou,
head of the Meteorological Services, said that the combination of whipping
tornados and torrential rain was not so unusual for this time of year,
describing it as typical winter weather. “If it wasn't for the jet stream
in the west, we would have experienced heavy rain earlier, but the jet
stream got in the way, delaying it a little,” said Theophilou. The wet
weather approached from the west, arriving in full force yesterday. “We
expect it to move east today between noontime and afternoon. Meanwhile, the
weather will continue to be cloudy, rainy, with storms and some snowfall in
the mountains but to a lesser extent,” he said.Less clouds and rain are
predicted for Saturday, while Sunday is expecting fine weather with a few
clouds at high altitudes. “Every year we get two or three tornados, maybe
not as intense, but they usually pass over fields. This year we felt the
pinch because it was in a residential area in Limassol,” said Theophilou.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Friday, February 14, 2003
[09] Gearing up for Valentine'sBy Tania KhadderAPHRODITE must be smiling.
As the modern mortals who inhabit her birthplace celebrate Valentine's Day
with growing enthusiasm, her son Eros is working overtime.In mythological
times, it was Eros (Cupid) who shot golden arrows into the hearts of those
his mother wanted to unite in marriage. He has since become one of the
holiday's most recognizable symbols.These days, however, it is Cyprus'
service industries that are doing all the work to help bring lovers
together. Restaurants and hotels are fully booked with a variety of special
options for the occasion. Flower shops are delivering tokens of love
throughout the island, while lingerie and sex shops play a late-night role
in the festivities. “Tomorrow night will be crazy,” Ghazi Mroueh, manager
at Abu Faysal restaurant in Nicosia, said yesterday. “It is one night where
we see so many customers we've never seen before.” More than ever before,
couples in Cyprus are taking an interest in Valentine's Day, and businesses
are feeling, and reacting to, the boom. Let's face it: love sells.“It is
definitely a bigger holiday now, and is more commercial,” Mroueh added. But
even before couples had to go out for Valentine's Day, giving flowers to
loved ones was a traditional form of expression. This remains the case now,
as flower shops all over the island yesterday claimed to be busy arranging
special orders.As expected, roses are the most sought after token of
affection, with a dozen ranging from £12 to £20. Roses arranged in the
shape of the heart, and festive vases are also popular.Those with
reservations at Abu Faysal's can do Valentine's Day Lebanese-style and dine
on heart-shaped falafels. At Pralina's, lovers can take home heart-shaped
French terrine with oven-dried tomatoes, cream cheese and black olives.
Whereas Friday nights are often characterized by group outings, restaurants
say they will see mostly couples tonight. At Romantica restaurant in
Nicosia, only one party of four will break tonight's reservations for two,
manager Sophie Mercurio said. To celebrate the occasion, Mercurio said a
very special night has been planned, with a Valentine balloon décor and
complementary roses for men to give their ladies. The evening's
reservations have been divided into two shifts, for those choosing to dine
from 7.30-9.30pm or at 10pm. A full course meal including wine is available
at £20 for the early sitting, and £25 for the later one. “They pay more if
they come at ten, but the benefit is that they can stay as they long as
they want,” Mercurio said. Mercurio and Mroueh both had one qualm with
Valentine's Day this year: that it falls on a Friday. Because Friday nights
are always a busy night in the restaurant business, this year's special day
is not as profitable as it would be if it fell, say, on a Tuesday night.But
what happens when the heart-shaped goodies have been devoured, and the last
drop of wine has been sipped? Apparently, that's when the real fun
begins.At Intimissimi in Nicosia yesterday afternoon, the saleswoman was so
overwhelmed with clients she was unable to speak to the Cyprus Mail. And
the owner at Lover's sex shop in Nicosia said his sales have been excellent
this week, and that his biggest clientele would be in today. “It's always
busy on Valentine's Day,” he said. “People buy vibrators, lingerie, lotions
and massage oil.”He claims that, contrary to popular belief, many of his
customers are women and that last Thursday, as many as 70 women came into
his shop. “My shop helps people have a different kind of experience in the
bedroom. They can be more playful,” he added. He then went on to show his
more sentimental side.“Valentine's day is a very special day to show your
love, but people should show their love every day,” he said. Aphrodite must
be beaming with pride. Eros can retire.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Friday, February 14, 2003
[10] KOKO: the girl band eyeing the big timeBy Stefanos EvripidouFOUR girls
with talent, looks and youth on their side are in Cyprus to launch their
campaign to take over the world under the experienced direction of much-
travelled John Themis.Themis has worked with a multitude of top artists,
including Culture Club, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Dido, George Michael, Elton
John and Sinead O'Connor, apart from writing the number one British hit
single “What Took You So Long” by Emma Bunton.The band, KOKO, call
themselves British Cypriot Europeans with a bit of Irish. A valuable bit,
however, for as Irish contingent Joanna warns: “There's no room in this
outfit for any divas.”Their music is described as R'n'B Mediterranean,
Middle Eastern flavoured with a touch of pop. Their songs have been written
by the girls themselves, as well as acclaimed artists like Quincy Jones Jnr,
the Sugarbabes and Dane Bowers. The girls - Katerina, Joanna, Emily and
Nathalie - range from 16 to 20 years old. They all love to sing and dance
and hope to begin their march on popdom this Saturday on CyBC's
'Savatovrado' programme. They are all musically minded and best of all, can
sing very well. “I think, for myself and my sister (Katerina), our greatest
inspiration has been my father (Themis), who from six years of age fought
with his brother for his guitar and then taught himself to play to become a
great musician,” says Emily. The group refuse to become a flash of fame
that will burn out after a while. “People on stuff like Pop Idols have lots
of talent, but we feel sorry for them because they aren't taken seriously
and they'll always be considered pop idols,” say the group.Themis wanted to
bring the girls to Cyprus to remind them of their roots while easing them
into the spotlight. “This is an awareness campaign. We are hoping to get a
record deal soon but we don't want a career that's quick up, quick down,
like many in the business,” said Themis.His advice is: “You've got to have
your own ingredient and make your own cake”. When asked what his favourite
type of music is, given the extensive variety of artists he has worked with,
he replies that there are only two types: good and bad. “Good music comes
from the gods, the rest can go to hell.”
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
|
