MOST OF old Nicosia, including parts of busy Ledra St, was blacked out for over an hour in the early evening yesterday. The total power cut started around 6.20pm, ending just after 7.15pm.
The EAC said that they will only be able to give the exact cause of the power failure when the official report is issued this morning.
Gift of life
A 58-YEAR-OLD man from Dherynia improved the lives of three other people by donating his kidneys and liver following his death from a stroke.
His kidneys went to two Cypriot men aged 49 and 46. Both heads of families, the men had been on a waiting-list for a long time. They received their new kidneys during operations on Tuesday night at the Paraskevaidio Transplant Centre in Nicosia.
The donated liver was flown to King’s College Hospital in London, and it has already been transplanted.
There have been five posthumous organ donations in Cyprus so far this year, compared to 13 for the whole of 2008.
Woman’s car burned twice this month
A 33-YEAR-OLD Aglandja woman has had a second car targeted by arsonists within three weeks.
The second attack happened around 3am yesterday. Residents were woken by a loud bang, and then witnessed a fire which at one point reached the second floor of the woman’s apartment block, in Trooditissis Street.
The fire not only completely destroyed the woman’s car – valued at €7,000 – but also spread to another nearby car – almost destroying it in the process – within five minutes.
Witnesses told police they saw some men running away just before the fire broke out, and then heard a car drive away at high speed.
The 33-year-old woman is said to have told police that she had not received threats from anyone, and did not suspect anyone of having carried out the arson.
Green light for more nurses
RESPONDING to pressure from the nurses’ union, who have said that staff shortages are putting patients’ lives at risk, the Finance Ministry looks set to approve the hiring of a total of 262 extra nurses.
Nurses’ representative Yiorgos Flourentzou said that the general shortage of manpower has been exposed further by the demands of handling the H1N1 flu outbreak.
In view of the financial crisis, the House of Representatives decided to approve a first batch of new hires limited to 147. Finance Minister Permanent Secretary Christos Patsalides indicated yesterday that his Ministry will most likely give its approval for the extra public expenditure before the end of the week.
Scholarships to Mexico
THE MEXICAN government is offering scholarships to foreign nationals wishing to study graduate or post-graduate degrees during the academic year 2009-2010, announced the Education Ministry yesterday. Those interested in applying for the Mexican scholarships may do so until August 15 online at www.portal3.sre.gob.mx/solicitudbecas/login.php
