Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-07-23

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

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

CONTENTS

[01] Garage promoters deny Napa gang war reports

[02] Turkish couple deported

[03] Turkish Cypriot opposition warns of massive electoral fraud

[04] Cypriots storing up health problems with meat glut

[05] Prodromou undergoes thoracic surgery

[06] Government wants Turkish Cypriots working in Paphos

[07] Falling birth rates could mean fewer teaching appointments

[08] Construction team unearths Roman grave

[09] Truck strike called off

[01] Garage promoters deny Napa gang war reports

A U.K. garage act management promoter yesterday denied that Ayia Napa was becoming a dangerous breeding ground for turf wars and gang rivalry among musicians.

The resort, which authorities on the island have been trying to market as a family destination, has made the headlines both in Cyprus and the UK after three stabbing incidents linked to well known garage musicians took place earlier in the month.

Two weeks ago, 18-year-old garage star Dizzy Rascal -- a member of Roll Deep Crew -- was stabbed at the resort, where he was due to appear at Gas Club.

Megaman, the front man of controversial South London Garage collective So Solid Crew was quizzed by police in connection with the incident, but later released, sparking rumours of gang rivalry between the two UK acts.

Just days later, British man Andrew Clevell was stabbed, leading to the arrest of two men reported to belong to the promotion company working with So Solid at Ayia Napa’s Ice Club.

Two Dutch holidaymakers were stabbed in a third incident, and two British citizens have also been arrested by police for possession of knives.

But Milton Climax, management promoter for garage act Roll Deep Crew, yesterday played down the incidents.

“I think that everyone picks up on them because it’s garage (music) and garage has a bit of a bad name,” he told the Cyprus Mail. “But there’s more trouble in Tenerife and Faliraki. You just don’t hear as much about them.”

He reiterated that Roll Deep and So Solid were not involved in the stabbings and dismissed rumours of turf wars: “As far as I know the incidents had nothing to do with So Solid or Roll Deep. To my knowledge, most of them involved tourists coming away on holiday -- you can buy a knife in the supermarket if you want to.”

He stressed that Ayia Napa was a safe family resort.

“Definitely, 100 per cent. My family is here.”

One club-owner said Ayia Napa was “calmer” this week.

“It’s much better, things are calm and there’s no trouble like there was two weeks ago. It looks as though some of the troublemakers have gone.”

But the club owner said the authorities should ban So Solid from performing in Cyprus again.

“Even if So Solid members were not involved themselves, they have a very large entourage and they cause trouble.”

“It’s a shame because it gives garage music a bad name but the music itself has nothing to do with the crime.”

So Solid have been banned from appearing at numerous venues in the UK after two men where shot at a London performance in 2001.

Linos Melas, owner of Ice Club, where So Solid appear every Sunday, is angered by the adverse publicity the resort has received abroad.

“The papers write all these things about Ayia Napa. Even the smallest incident and it’s in the papers. Why don’t they write something good about Napa?

“It’s a very safe resort, and just because there is a small fight in Ayia Napa it doesn’t mean there are gangs around.

“It has changed a lot since two years ago - it can accommodate families as well as young people. It’s becoming more of a quality resort.”

He also dismissed So Solid’s involvement in the spate of stabbings.

“People keep saying So Solid are linked to the stabbings but where’s the proof?”

“To my knowledge, no So Solid members were involved in these incidents. So Solid are a group of 35 to 40 people, but I only get two, or three members maximum playing in my club. Members like Lisa Maffia are people I choose to play at my club - I know them personally. They are people of good character and don’t cause any problems.

“Anyone causing trouble can be arrested as far as I’m concerned.

“We just want people to come here and enjoy themselves and have fun.”

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

[02] Turkish couple deported

THE TURKISH couple who crossed over from the north to see a Greek Cypriot friend at the weekend were deported yesterday, the Government Spokesman confirmed.

Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said that the couple, a 34-year-old man and his 19-year-old wife were put on a plane for Athens and from there they would travel to Istanbul and make their own way back to the north, a 2,200- km trip.

Kyriacos Triantafyllides, Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry told the Cyprus Mail that the Migration Officer had signed the deportation order on Monday night, before leaving Cyprus for a trip abroad.

Asked whether the couple, who were fined for illegal entry at the Nicosia court early on Monday, could not have been sent back through the checkpoint where they crossed, Triantafyllides said the law had to be followed, no matter what the nationality was. “I’m not sure about whether it could have been done on a political level but on a technical level it could not,” he said.

The unnamed Turkish man, who settled in the Turkish-occupied north of the island in 2000, and his 19-year-old wife who was born in Cyprus of Turkish parents, were fined £250 at court on Monday morning. The Greek Cypriot, whose house they now live in in occupied Yerolakkos, and who befriended them, was fined £300 by the court for

“giving asylum to illegal immigrants”.

He had invited the couple to the south for the weekend and sneaked them through the checkpoint in his car. All three were nabbed on Sunday attempting to make the return trip after the two Turks stayed overnight.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

[03] Turkish Cypriot opposition warns of massive electoral fraud

TURKISH Cypriot Patriotic Unity Movement (PUM) leader, Alpay Durduran said yesterday that around 500,000 Turkish settlers, more than four times the Turkish Cypriot population, had been given ‘TRNC’ citizenship and were eligible to vote in the December elections in the north.

Durduran expressed concern that a huge number of those settlers would vote and sway the results in favour of Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, whom the opposition hopes to oust in December so that a Cyprus solution based on the Annan plan can be negotiated before Cyprus enters the EU next May.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the heard of the Cyprus Green Party, George Perdikis, Durduran said that everything was controlled in the north and that this was “the unfortunate reality”.

Durduran said that Turkish Cypriots were now a minority, and that settlers come to Cyprus “just to get the citizenship". Special trips were being organised from Turkey for this reason, he said.

Perdikis said that Greek Cypriot parties should support the PUM’s request to the Council of Europe to go ahead with the registration of the real Turkish Cypriot voters in the occupied areas He said he would promote the idea at the Federation of Green Parties of Europe and among Euro MPs.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

[04] Cypriots storing up health problems with meat glut

ACCORDING to the Mediterranean diet the consumption of red meat per person should be at 240 grams per month. According to the “Cypriot diet”, however, the consumption per person exceeds 5.7 kilos per month.

The pattern is repeated with poultry, where the normal consumption is 240 grams per week and Cypriots average 900 grams. In total, 125.7 kilos of all types of meat are consumed per year, which gives a daily average of 344 grams.

In the consumption of red meat, Cyprus comes first in Europe with 180 grams per day, Greece is second (110 grams per person), followed by Portugal (95 grams) and France (80 grams).

According to the figures, released by the government statistical service 100.5 million kilos of meat were put for sale in the market in one year (or 125 kilos of meat per person). First in preference is pork, with a consumption of 50,7 million kilos per year, followed by poultry with 33.8 million kilos per year.

But that is not all, per year an average of 4.8 kilos of beef; 3.7 kilos of lamb, 1.5 kilos of sheep, and 1 kilo of rabbit are consumed per person. Considering that the WHO recommends 28-30kg of meat per year, this is an excessive consumption in all types of meat.

There is also an over consumption of dairy products to the tune of around 200 million kilos per year. The Mediterranean diet recommends 120 grams daily while 600 grams are being consumed daily per Cypriot. With eggs, Cypriots are close to the recommended 180 grams, with 200 grams.

Studies support that a Mediterranean-type diet - rich in plant foods and olive oil, moderate consumption of wine, low-to-moderate amounts of fish and poultry, and little red meat - reduces cancer and heart disease risk and boosts life expectancy.

Diet Specialist Despina Avraam believes the tendency to turn towards meat is a result of our way of life. With hectic work schedules, it is usually easier and quicker, but also less expensive, to cook meat. Our Mediterranean diet heritage of eating pulses has been dismissed, children are not forced to eat, and start liking, these types of food, she said.

Fast food restaurants supply people with various quick solutions when they are hungry yet in the long run this type of nutrition has negative consequences on our health, Avraam warned. The kidneys work overtime in order to expel uric acid found in meat from the body. The fat content of meat leads to increased levels of cholesterol and by the age of 50-55 people require heart surgery.

The over consumption of dairy products is also worrying because cheeses are rich in cholesterol. Avraam recommended semi-skimmed milk after the age of seven, since it is has lower fat levels and is usually fortified with Vitamins A & D.

She advised people to eat less meat and more fish, the fat of which actually helps to reduce cholesterol. Consumers should consider using more white meat, and see turkey as more than just a Christmas meal. It is also very important to remove fat and skin from meat before cooking it, she added.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

[05] Prodromou undergoes thoracic surgery

DEMOCRATIC Rally Party member and Deputy Prodromos Prodromou was yesterday recovering from a successful thoracic procedure on his right lung at The American Heart Institute in Nicosia on Monday.

According to Dr Marinos Soteriou, the surgeon who performed the operation, Prodromou suffered from a pneumothorax, commonly known as a collapsed lung.

A pneumothorax occurs when air escapes from the lungs or leaks through the chest wall. As air builds up, it causes the nearby lung to collapse.

“There were some air-filled sacs, which we call ‘blebs’, on Mr Podromou’s right lung,” Soteriou explained. Some of those blebs burst, releasing air and causing the lung to which they were attached to collapse.”

Once the condition was diagnosed, Soteriou recalls that “we first inserted a drain into his chest to try to suck the air out that way, but that didn’t work, so the next option was surgery. We went in and resectioned a piece of the right lung, which fixed the problem.”

The operation went very smoothly and Podromou will now be kept in the hospital for three or four more days for observation. Soteriou forecasts a full recovery and thinks Prodromou should be able to resume work and normal activities in a few weeks’ time.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

[06] Government wants Turkish Cypriots working in Paphos

THE GOVERNMENT is trying to find ways to in deal with labour shortages in Paphos by employing more Turkish Cypriots, Labour Minister Makis Keravnos said yesterday.

Speaking to Radio Paphos, Keravnos said the government was looking to help Turkish Cypriots find jobs in the free areas.

Keravnos said Turkish Cypriots were entitled to the same treatment as any other Cypriot, adding it was preferable that such vacancies be filled by Turkish Cypriots.

Hundreds of Turkish Cypriots have been visiting district employment offices in search of work since the Green Line opened on April 23.

Keravnos said Turkish Cypriots were reluctant to work in Paphos since the city was far from the checkpoints, and the government was looking into ways to create incentives for them to work there.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

[07] Falling birth rates could mean fewer teaching appointments

AS OF September, fewer schoolteachers could be appointed to the island’s primary schools, Sophocles Charalambides, President of the Primary Teachers’ Association (POED) confirmed yesterday.

“It look as though we will have fewer appointments due to present-day needs, ” he said. “We will have as many appointments as last year but I don’t know how far we will need to dip into names from this year’s (teachers) catalogue.”

Reports in Monday’s Simerini attributed the excess of primary teachers to a fall in children starting school due to lower birth rates. The paper said statistics obtained from the Department of Statistics and the Education Ministry showed that in 2002 just 7,800 births were recorded whereas the number of births in 1996 was 9,638.

“Low birth rates are one of the reasons,” Charalambides confirmed.

“These statistics show that there will be some problems. If the number of children in school is falling, and the number of teachers retiring is less than those awaiting appointment then of course appointments will be fewer and teachers will be waiting longer before starting work.”

“But this is the first time this has happened in the primary schools, though this problem has been around for many years in middle education.”

He added that about 300 prospective teachers graduated from universities in Greece and Cyprus without being appointed this year.

He stressed that measures could be taken in the short term to tackle the problem.

“There can be some measures taken such as the assessment of teachers’ work hours and how many children are in each department.”

According to current laws, classes can hold up to 32 children but Charalambides said POED had asked the Ministry to reduce this to 30.

A source at the Education Ministry downplayed the reports, saying the figures quoted in Simerini were “not official figures.”

There was no official comment from the Ministry.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

[08] Construction team unearths Roman grave

CONSTRUCTION workers digging a new house plot in Xylotombou found a lot more than just dirt and rocks as they broke the surface on Monday morning. What they managed to unearth was an ancient Roman grave filled with seven skeletons, a big white amphora, and a large supply of pots and jugs next to the human remains.

Workers immediately called the police, who contacted Marinos Avram, head of the Archaeological Museum of Larnaca. Avram and a small team of fellow archaeologists made their way over to the unearthed burial ground to exhume and to examine the findings.

“Needless to say,” Avram said yesterday, “the family was quite surprised to learn they had previously been sleeping over a grave filled with seven dead bodies. An old lady who used to live above the grave joked that she now understood why she has trouble sleeping at night.”

Judging from the contents of the grave, Avram and his team were able to date the grave from somewhere roughly in the 2nd century BC. Since there were no metal objects or decadent jewels found in the tomb, Avram believes the skeletons and remains that were found belonged to a rather poor family. “If it were a wealthy family, we would have found some kind of precious metal or some fine stones near the bodies, but we only found the large amphora and various pots and jugs fashioned out of clay,” he told the Cyprus Mail.

Asked if there would be more excavation near the newly discovered grave, Avram said, “There will be no more digging or excavating near that grave since we don’t think it was near any major graveyard. What we found yesterday was just an independent grave, one of many that are very loosely scattered throughout the area.”

After the remains of the graves were collected, they were taken back to the Archaeological Museum of Larnaca and construction on the new house in Xylotombou continued as usual.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

[09] Truck strike called off

LORRY drivers yesterday called off a strike scheduled to take place at Limassol port today, after agreeing to give the Ports Authority more time to look over their demands.

More than 700 lorry drivers were expected to strike today, after talks between unions and the port authority over demands for the port to work on a 24-hour basis ended in deadlock.

The spat was sparked off by a government decision to install tachographs and speed limiters on commercial vehicles in the framework of the island’s EU harmonisation.

Lorry drivers claimed the move meant they would only be able to deliver one load each day, since they would not be able to exceed the 80 kilometres per hour speed limit.

POVEK union spokesman Kyriacos Moustakas told the Cyprus Mail this week that by the time truck drivers returned to the port, it would be closed, since port employees only work from 7.30am-2.30pm.

He said the unions were demanding that the port be open on a 24-hour basis, just as in other EU countries.

They also demanded that better access roads be constructed as well as parking spaces to speed up drivers’ loading times.

The unions’ meetings with the Ports Authority in the past week ended in heated debates and deadlock, but truck drivers yesterday agreed to give the Ports Authority more time to look over their demands. They also agreed to wait for the new members of the board of the Ports Authority to be appointed and to hold meetings with them on the issue.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

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