A NEW plan from the Communications Ministry will include tougher laws for alcohol tests on drivers in Cyprus.

REASONS behind the murder of retired teacher Theodoris Grigoriou on Friday night are still being investigated, according to the police.

“We are looking at a crime that was very well-planned but we don’t have enough substantial evidence to reveal to the public as yet,” Deputy chief of the police Charalambos Koulentis said yesterday.

THE MONETARY Policy Committee yesterday decided to keep the key official interest rates of the Central Bank of Cyprus the same. The interest rates on the marginal lending facility (Lombard) and overnight deposit facility will remain at 5.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively, said Central Bank Governor Christodoulos Christodoulou.

TWO separate family disputes at the weekend saw one man hospitalised. Luckily none of the incidents ended in any fatalities.

There was almost a tragedy on Sunday evening as a jockey opened fired on his father at the Nicosia horse track in Agios Dhometios.

POLICE were yesterday investigating an arson attack at a Limassol coffee shop.

The incident was discovered when a fire broke out at the coffee shop at around 3am. Fire services put out the blaze but not before it caused extensive damage to the coffee shop’s furnishings and equipment, said police.

INTERIOR Minister Makis Keravnos yesterday said the government was determined to cut next year’s budget deficit within the eurozone ceiling.

The minister yesterday presented the 2005 budget to the House Finance Committee and pointed out that Cyprus was on the way to limit its budget deficit to 5.2 per cent of GDP by the end of this year and to 2.9 per cent by the end of 2005.

AKEL leader and acting head of state Demetris Christofias told Phileleftheros on Sunday that he had refused to become a “second Talat” and undermine the position of President Tassos Papadopoulos as suggested by foreign powers.

THE UNION of Flight Engineers of Olympic Airways (EPTAOA) gave their backing to recently fired head of the aircraft maintenance at Cyprus Airways, Andreas Georgiades.

Bartholomew showers praise on Nephytos for sermons at Ayios Mamas

ECUMENICAL Patriarch Bartholomew has congratulated the Bishop of Morphou for his policy of conciliation on the island and recent initiatives to re-open the Ayios Mamas church in the occupied north.

CYPRUS house prices fell by 1.9 per cent in September from August, bringing the average price to 84,834 Cyprus pounds ($184,421), according to the BuySell Cyprus Real Estate network.

The index, based 200 to 300 monthly house sales, closed at 108.89 points.