Flying High: Cyprus win first gold medal at Commonwealth Games

2010-10-09

DEMETRIS Krasias said he always believed in his potential after the 18-year-old won Cyprus’ first gold medal of the Commonwealth Games with a brilliant performance in the Artistic Gymnastics Horizontal Bar competition in New Delhi.

The judges were left in no doubt after seeing the teenager’s performance, as he racked up a total of 13.900 points late on Friday night.

Anderson Loran of Canada finished in second place with 13.625 points, while Englishman Max Whitlock took bronze with 13.575 points.

This is the second medal for Cyprus at the Games, both of them coming in Artistic Gymnastics. On Thursday, Herodotos Georgallas captured bronze in the Rings final.

The (less) tolerant Netherlands

2010-10-09

IF GERT Wilders were some underemployed bigot ranting in a pub, you’d just move away from him. He calls the Islamic veil a “head rag” and says it should be taxed for “polluting” the Dutch landscape.  He condemns Islam as “the sick ideology of Allah and Mohammed” and the Quran as “the Mein Kampf of a religion that seeks to eliminate others”.  Just another nutcase with too much time on his hands.

Let’s hope marriage comes back in fashion…

2010-10-09

THE BRITISH couple next to me enjoying the late Med sun tell me their holiday is to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary: childhood sweethearts from the same class at school. It’s not hard to feel genuine delight with them, I am a big fan of marriage, especially the ‘for better or worse’ bit.

Recently released statistics in the UK, ahead of the census, are predicting yet another decline in those opting for marriage and a growth in the number of couples cohabiting and having children out of wedlock, this is linked to the other main trend which is first marriages happening later, on average with bride and grooms in their thirties, which means there may well be far fewer golden weddings in the future.

Working towards a landmine-free Cyprus

2010-10-09

THE HEAD of implementation of the Ottawa convention on landmines, Kerry Brinkert yesterday praised Cyprus’ commitment to destroying its stock of anti-personnel mines.

At a ceremony at Kalo Chorio firing range yesterday where 494 anti-personnel land mines were destroyed Brinkert said “Cyprus has converted its commitments into meaningful action on the ground”.

He noted that Cyprus had decided to reduce its stockpile of land mines “despite being in a situation where the matter of national security is profound” indicating Cyprus’ decision that “the marginal utility of anti-personnel mines is greatly outweighed by the human suffering that results from the use of these weapons.”

Our View: Deputies never tire of lining their own pockets

2010-10-09

 

DESPITE the noble words about the serving the public, the primary concern of most deputies is looking after their personal interests. And we are not just referring to the irresponsible populist utterances which are the currency of political debate and are designed to win votes. Only a couple of weeks ago we found out how deputies had arranged for the €6,000 annual allowance they received for secretarial services to be factored into the calculation of their state pension, thus increasing it by several hundred euro a month.

New money for old bangers

2010-10-09

 

AS OF Monday the transport ministry will start accepting applications again for the withdrawal of old bangers in new scheme that is expected to cost over €2 million.

This time around vehicle owners can receive as much as €1,800 if they exchange their gas guzzlers for more eco-friendly vehicles.  The government hopes to claw back some of the cost from the fees that will be charged from the registration of new vehicles.

Those owning cars over 15 years old will now have the chance to trade them in for a new model, provided that it emits less than 165 grammes of CO2 per kilometre.

‘Ten out of ten for Medvedev visit’

2010-10-09

GOVERNMENT and business leaders were yesterday basking in aftermath of the historic visit to the island on Thursday of  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou referred, not only to the significant agreements signed but also the “clear position” of Moscow on the Cyprus problem.

He underlined Medvedev’s view that developing relations between Russia and Turkey would not have an impact on the Cyprus Republic.

“The plans and preparations led to some very significant agreements for the state’s economy in all aspects,” said Stefanou. “And on the other hand, it is also very important from a political point of view that Cyprus has reaffirmed Russia’s principles regarding the Cyprus problem.”

Could the Cyprus-Russia tax deal be bad for business?

2010-10-09

THE AGREEMENT signed yesterday for the avoidance of double taxation may have the unwanted effect of driving away much-needed Russian money, a prominent lawyer has warned.

Former MP Michalis Papapetrou said that, under the agreement, authorities here would gain access to the income and bank account data of Russian businesses without the prior need to secure a court order.

“Who will choose Cyprus as a business centre when they know that, without any testimony that a crime has been committed, or even probable cause, authorities will get access to your records?” Papapetrou said.

“And who will accept authorities poring over their bank accounts? Do you know of many Cypriot businesses who’d put up with that?”

Schulz in Cyprus ahead of direct trade discussion

2010-10-09

MARTIN Schulz, the leader of the Socialists in the European Parliament (EP) expressed hope yesterday that the talks between the island’s divided Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities would be successful to also resolve the direct trade issue.

Schulz, who is on a fact-finding mission in Cyprus said he was on the island to listen and learn.

“I am here to listen, learn, before I make decisions and there is an impact,” Schulz said after a meeting with House President and DIKO leader Marios Garoyian. “It is very important to better understand the different views and discussions. Thus before I can make a recommendation to my colleagues in the EP’s Socialist Group, I should learn and that is why I must listen.”

Ready to handle natural disasters

2010-10-09

CYPRUS HAS plans in place to deal with almost any kind of natural disaster but some can be so catastrophic that a state can find it impossible to deal with on its own, Interior Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis said yesterday.

The most important aspect in any natural disaster was to avert the loss of human lives, said Sylikiotis in an interview with the Cyprus News Agency (CNA). The secondary goal was to restrict negative impact on the environment.

The minister said Cyprus agreed with the position of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to create a European rapid reaction force that could deal with such catastrophes on a regional basis in southern Europe, the Mediterranean and central Europe.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.