FINANCE Minister Michalis Sarris yesterday sought to allay fears among euro-shy Cypriots by unveiling the proposed Fair Pricing Code, which aims to minimise profiteering up to and during the currency changeover.

Latest polls still show over 50 per cent of Cypriots oppose euro entry in January 1 next year, and over 80 per cent fear being ripped off.

CYPRUS expects the pound will be locked against the euro on July 10 at its parity level against the single currency within the ERM2 ante-room, Finance Minister Michael Sarris said yesterday.

TWO fires broke out yesterday morning in the Limassol district, causing damage to 13 hectares of land.

Both broke out almost simultaneously at 4.30am, in Mandria and Fini villages and have been blamed on power cables short circuiting.

According to the Fire Services, the strong winds caused the cables to touch, with the sparks generated turning to flames.

TWO PEOPLE were yesterday hospitalised with the effects of heatstroke as temperatures yesterday hit 39C inland.

Both incidents happened in Paphos, the first when a 52-year-old Polish builder was taken to hospital complaining of dizziness. Doctors said his body temperature was very high and described his condition as serious, but not life threatening.

POLICE in Larnaca have foiled a marriage of convenience between a Cypriot and an Eastern European women after demanding to see the husband’s apparently non-existent unwashed clothes in the apartment the couple supposedly shared.

A CYPRUS Airways flight bound for Amsterdam from Paphos was yesterday forced to abort take off after two of its four back tyres exploded.

No passengers were hurt in the incident.

The Airbus 320 aircraft, which was carrying 115 passengers, was scheduled to take off from Paphos Airport at around 10.30am having arrived an hour earlier from Larnaca Airport.

PRESIDENT Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday inaugurated the first local Labour Office in the Nicosia suburb of Lakatamia.

THE SUPREME Court has declared null and void the 2002 appointment of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation’s (CyBC) Managing Director, following an appeal from two rejected candidates.

Michalis Stylianou and Michalis Zacharioglou had claimed that the appointment of Managing Director Marios Mavrikios was not conducted fairly.

THE PAN-CYPRIAN Labour Federation (PEO) has reported a large number of building contractors after they failed to observe Monday’s agreement that temperatures were dangerously high for outside work between noon and 4pm.

The General-Secretary of the Federation’s Building Section yesterday told the Mail that many workers were unaware of their rights.