THE CYPRUS Ophthalmological Society yesterday launched its free glaucoma-screening examinations programme. The five-day campaign aims to better inform the public on the gravity of this disease – which is a preventable cause of blindness – and to improve patients’ quality of life, its President Dr Panicos Philippou told the Cyprus Mail. Glaucoma is caused when the optic nerve is damaged.
AT TEAM of senior Canadian officials yesterday met with their Cypriot counterparts to explore the building of bridges between the two nations in light of Cyprus’ EU accession next year. The delegation, headed by Assistant Deputy Minister of European Affairs Paul Dubois, arrived on the island on Saturday as part of a three-week tour of the ten countries slated to join the bloc in May.
CYPRUS could be find itself in hot water with the European Union concerning the delays in passing laws requiring state officials to file capital statements as well as placing civil servants under a clear obligation to report suspicions of corruption.
THE ATTORNEY-general yesterday said the current draft of a bill providing for the removal of local authority officials under investigation was unconstitutional since elected officials could not be treated the same way as public servants. The bill coincided with the ongoing investigation of Paralimni mayor Nicos Vlittis, who has been accused of abusing his power.
CENTRAL Bank Governor Christodoulos Christodoulou said yesterday a Mutual Agreement had been signed with the Central Bank of Jordan that covers the exchange of information in the field of banking supervision. Christodoulou said the signing of the agreement with the Central Bank of Jordan became necessary due to the presence of four branches of Jordanian banks in Cyprus.
A THREE-year-old girl was electrocuted on Sunday after touching a live wire at a bumper-car ride at a Nicosia Luna Park, it was confirmed yesterday. Maria Malakou was rushed to Makarion hospital where she was treated and later released. A spokesperson at the hospital said Malakou has not suffered any injuries.
A CHURCH service from the occupied monastery of Apostolos Andreas to celebrate the saint’s name day was broadcast live by satellite to the free areas.
THE CYPRUS Broadcasting Authority’s decision to shut down Sigma for five minutes last caused uproar both at the TV station and among politicians. The authority has filed a suit against the channel claiming one of their locally made comedies contained lewd and unsuitable material.
AN 18-YEAR-OLD Limassol motorcyclist was yesterday in serious condition following a violent collision with a car on Sunday evening. Police said Antonis Georgiou was hurt when his motorcycle collided with a car on Spyros Kyprianou Avenue at 8pm. Georgiou, who was not wearing a crash helmet, was rushed to hospital where he was transferred to the intensive care unit.
A 27-YEAR-OLD woman and a man, 43, both from Limassol, were in custody yesterday in connection to the suspected embezzlement of around £100,000 from a cement company. The alleged embezzlement was discovered in an audit when the company’s shareholders decided to dissolve the business. On Sunday police told the court the suspected embezzlement had been carried out between 1998 and 2001.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
