Finance Minister resigns for top banking job

FOLLOWING months of speculation, Finance Minister Makis Keravnos resigned yesterday to take up a senior position with Hellenic Bank, prompting questions from opposition DISY as to how a government minister could be allowed to negotiate for a position in the private sector while still in office.

Motorcycle safety

Sir,
Thank you for printing MP Katie Clerides’ letter “Wear your helmet; it will save your life” (August 26).

Who’s to blame for hot-beds of hatred?

Sir,
As a regular reader of the Cyprus Mail, I feel that the comment article by Bernard Wasserstein on August 17 (‘Can the wild men of the Middle East be tamed?’) in part presents a rather sanitised view of Israel’s responsibilities towards the non-Jewish Palestinians. I think that comment should contain a less sanitised view in order to add balance to the discussion.

Second Helios Boeing gets the all-clear

HELIOS Airways said yesterday that its second Boeing 737-800 had been given the all-clear after an all-out check in Sweden and has been returned to service.

An announcement from the airline said its two Boeing 737-800s had now been checked, confirming that safety was the airline’s top priority.

Cyprus Airways losses down on last year

CYPRUS Airways yesterday announced net losses of £20.4 million for the first half of 2005, mainly as a result of offloading its loss-making Greek-based carrier Hellas Jet.

Turkish Cypriots spend as much in the south as they earn

GREEK and Turkish Cypriots spend similar amounts of money when crossing the divide, a study by the Cyprus College has shown.

The survey, carried out in association with the Central Bank, compared the current spending habits of the two communities to figures available for May 2003, right after the partial lifting of restrictions on the freedom of movement.

Greek investigators question key witnesses in Cyprus

A TEAM of Greek experts investigating the Helios Airways crash in Greece, which killed all 121 on board, yesterday started interviewing people in Cyprus linked to the August 14 tragedy.

The head of the Greek air-accident investigation committee, Akrivos Tsolakis, and his team are based at the Golden Bay hotel in Larnaca, the place where the interviews are being conducted.

Azeri flight ‘fiasco’

TURKISH Cypriot papers said yesterday the much-trumpeted direct flight to Baku in Azerbaijan was a hyped affair laid on by the Denktash family.

Daily Halkin Sesi said the first direct flight by Cyprus Turkish Airlines to a country other than Turkey had been a “a fiasco”.

Zodhia checkpoint to open today

THE Zodhia checkpoint, the first in the west of the island, would be operational as of today, it was confirmed yesterday after much speculation.

Earlier this month the government seemed caught off its stride by the breakaway regime’s announcement of the opening of the checkpoint today.

Denied their right to vote

EU NATIONALS residing in Peyia are being told that they cannot vote in Sunday’s by-election to elect a new mayor because the legislation has not yet been amended by Parliament, even though EU law enshrines their right to vote.

The September 4 by-election is taking place because the former Peyia mayor, Demetris Kappetzis, resigned in late July due to ill health.