INTELLECTUAL terror and a threat to democracy was how the heroic defenders of free speech saw the confiscation of two PCs by the cops from the home of a Nicosia lawyer, who allegedly administered the ultra-patriotic blog Christofias-watch.

The blog, humorously, claims to be run by ‘The Committee for the restoration of democracy in Cyprus’, but there the humour ends. Most of the content consists of sanctimonious attacks on the comrade for his positions at the talks. The blog which also operates a forum, often labels people who do not share its ultra-patriotic views on the Cyprob, traitors, agents, Turk-worshippers etc.

BRITAIN woke up on Friday morning trying to come terms with political uncertainty it had not known since the last time its voters delivered a hung parliament 36 years ago in 1974. The electorate had spoken, but no one was quite sure what they’d meant to say.

By the time the votes had been counted, it emerged that 36 per cent of the population had voted for the Conservatives, 29 per cent for Labour and 23 per cent for the Liberal Democrats. This was too close a spread even for Britain’s notoriously weighted first past the post system to deliver a clear majority, leaving the Conservatives some 20 seats short of power.

FRESH air, uninterrupted views and a place to sleep in the high season for as little as €1 a night; in one location, the most you’ll pay for an entire summer’s accommodation is €250.

What’s the catch? Well when you get past the long beautiful walks, waking up in the middle of nature and fishing at dawn, it’s BYO (bring your own) everything.

The Forestry Department last week put out its annual call promoting camping as the best option for domestic tourism this holiday season.

There are five campsites on the island. Four are located in the Troodos mountains and one on the shore of Polis tis Chrysochous.

CYPRUS Airways pilots have accused Eurocypria airlines of trying to steal their business by launching flights to the same destinations.

A statement issued by the pilots union (PALPU) said Eurocypria has launched chartered flights to Rome and Venice as well as weekly routes to Moscow and Franfurt making its intentions clear “to compete in Cyprus Airways routes.”

“Assurances that Eurocypria would be limited to non-competitive routes have once more proven to be empty words and moves to mislead, “PALPU said.

The union said Eurcypria’s potential to remain afloat without affecting Cyprus Airways is zero – “something we pointed out months ago.”

OPPONENTS of the construction of a huge cathedral in the heart of the old city of Nicosia yesterday protested peacefully outside the Archbishopric.

The committee against the construction of the cathedral hung a banner on the fence of the Archbishopric which read “No logic” and handed out literature outlining their positions.

The opponents say the planned structure would increase the load on an already heavily burdened area from an environmental and structural point of view, and would alter its aesthetic, cultural and historic character.

They also stressed that it will worsen traffic, which is already at its limits and lead to a further decline of the other historical churches in the area which have been there for centuries.

THE Health Ministry has launched yet another investigation into allegations of malpractice by state doctors, it emerged yesterday.

Daily Phileleftheros reported yesterday that a group of women have complained that they underwent unsuccessful surgical operations but were not informed of their condition.

The state facility where the alleged botched surgeries took place was not named.

In one of the cases a woman underwent surgery to remove a contraceptive coil but doctors were unable to do so due to the time that elapsed – almost two decades –l since it was placed.

Coils are usually removed five years after they are inserted.

GREEK authorities have arrested a Cypriot man suspected of killing his business partner, also a Cypriot, in Athens on Wednesday.

After his arrest, it emerged that 42-year-old hotel owner Giorgos Trantas had also been wanted for the murder of a Serbian man in 2007.

The victim, Antonis Stylianou, 52, and the suspected killer had met in Palio Falyro on Wednesday to talk about some financial difference they had, reports said.

The suspect was allegedly demanding €600,000 from the victim. He was later shot twice in the head, reports said.

The suspect then put the body in the boot of Stylianou’s car and abandoned it in a deserted area in Rafina.