THE FINANCE Ministry yesterday defended its euro information campaign following calls by the European Commission to speed up the process.

In its latest report on the level of preparedness in Cyprus and Malta, which both adopt the euro on Janaur 1, the Commission said Malta’s communication activities on the euro were “exceptionally comprehensive and of a very high quality”.

RESIDENTS of Kalavasos yesterday spoke of their grief, 24 hours after two devastating forest fires ravaged areas of the Larnaca district.

Upon entering the village, the strong smell of burning was almost overwhelming, while at least three separate areas on a hillside could still be seen smouldering.

A BUZZ hung over Eleftheria Square in the capital last night as the AKEL faithful patiently waited for the proceedings to mark the anniversary of the coup and the invasion to begin.

The slightly subdued mood shifted a gear as a group of about 200 youths marched into the square carrying flags and party emblems.

PRESIDENT Tassos Papadopoulos caused a storm among the opposition yesterday over his statement that he would not sign any ‘disastrous’ settlements for Cyprus just to accumulate brownie points.

Papadopoulos made his statement late on Monday at an event marking the Turkish invasion.

COMPETITION Commissioner Giorgos Christofides was yesterday left counting flowers on the wallpaper after committee members did not show up for a scheduled meeting.

Work at the agency has ground to a halt due to an ongoing strike by employees complaining about oppressive surveillance.

THREE OF the four new ministers appointed last Friday took over from their predecessors yesterday during brief ceremonies at the ministries of Interior, Health and Transport.

The fourth, Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, took over from George Lillikas on Monday.

THE son of the Turkish Cypriot family murdered on the Nicosia-Larnaca highway in January 2005 warned Cyprus and Turkey yesterday they would be sharing the dock at the European Court of Human Rights for their joint failure to bring the killers to justice.

The statement came two days after an attempt was made on the son’s own life on Sunday morning.

DECORATIVE candles that look too much like food are being removed from shelves on the order of the government, for fears that people might accidentally eat them.

PUBLIC health inspectors are refusing to buy foodstuffs and cooking implements for the Health Ministry’s sample screening programme as long as they are expected to pay for them out of their own pocket.

Although the Health Ministry does reimburse its inspectors each month, it can sometimes take as long as three months to do so.