First Cypriots could leave Libya today

2011-02-23

THE FIRST Cypriots to be evacuated from Libya are expected to leave on board a Greek ship sometime this afternoon.

The Minerva Antonia was dispatched yesterday and will spend most of today docked in the Libyan port of Ra’s Lanuf, located between Benghazi and Tripoli. It will pick up any Greek, Cypriot and European citizens who want to leave Libya, taking them to Greece.

Director of crisis management at Cyprus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andreas Zinonos said anyone who wants to leave and can get to Ra’s Lanuf by this afternoon will be offered passage.

Lawyer tells Greek Cypriots to seek redress in American courts

2011-02-23

 

CLASS ACTION lawsuits in the United States against the ‘TRNC’ and HSBC bank will go down in history, American lawyer Athan Tsimpedes said yesterday, outlining the possibilities of such action to Greek Cypriots.

“USA courts are independent and can exercise power unimaginable to the rest of the world,” Tsimpedes said, adding that the US judicial system does not bend to politics.

If the case is successful, the ‘TRNC’ could stand to pay to Greek Cypriots up to ten times the amount originally taken, Tsimpedes said. He used a metaphor of a thief stealing one euro and using it to make a €10 million. Under US law you are entitled to the €10 million, he said.

Opposition slams ‘discount’ on land earmarked in Qatar deal

2011-02-23

THE WAR of words over the deal with Qatar for a commercial development in Nicosia raged on yesterday, with the opposition charging that prime real estate was given away at a 65-per cent discount and the government countering that DISY was deliberately misleading the public.

An expert committee tasked with handling negotiations for the multi-million-euro project in Nicosia has recently agreed on a €50-million price tag for the land earmarked for development, falling short of the government’s initial estimate of some €140 million.

“In other words, the state will transfer the land … offering a 65-per cent discount on the value … estimated by the land registry,” DISY deputy chairman Averof Neofytou said.

Three arrested on suspicion of perverting justice

2011-02-23

A STATE prosecutor and two attorneys were yesterday placed under arrest on suspicion of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

The three suspects, aged 62, 35 and 34, all from Limassol, appear in court today where CID detectives will ask that they be remanded in custody until they complete investigations.

The case relates to a lethal hit-and-run in Limassol that took place in December 2007. The subsequent trial cleared the 18-year-old defendant of the charge of causing death through a negligent act.

The Attorney-general’s office later appealed the ruling with the Supreme Court. During the course of the appeal, the AG’s office discovered discrepancies in the trial documents and ordered a criminal investigation.

Hadjicostis witness accused of testifying in return for lighter sentence

2011-02-23

 

IN A BID to hurt his credibility, the defence the trial for the murder of media owner Andis Hadjicostis yesterday accused a prosecution witness of agreeing to testify in exchange for a lighter sentence for offences he had admitted to committing.

Giorgos Zavrandonas was grilled by two defence attorneys, who accused him of lying and acting in return for a life abroad after the end of the trial.

Zavrandonas is currently serving a 12-year prison term at an unspecified location in connection with the attempt to kill Andreas Gregoriou, one of the defendants in the case, and conspiring to murder a group of people involved in online gambling in a case unrelated to Hadjicostis’ murder in January 2010.

Travellers encouraged to use travel agents

2011-02-23

THE ONLY way for travellers to safeguard against possible “unpleasant surprises” is to book through licensed travel agencies, the Association of Cyprus Travel Agents (ACTA) warned yesterday.

To protect travellers from possible “traps” ACTA has begun a campaign to inform the public adequately of things they should be aware of. The campaign includes an information leaflet that will be handed out by all members of ACTA to their customers, advertisements and the use of their website.

Local businesses say no to dual carriageway

2011-02-23

BUSINESSES on the busy tourist hub of the Tomb of the Kings road in Paphos are threatening to shut up shop if a plan to turn it into a dual carriageway goes ahead.

According to local business people, Paphos Mayor Savvas Vergas has said construction of the road – to form part of the ring road being built around the town – would commence this June or July, taking 18 months to complete.

The response of one bar owner was that this would kill off all business in the ailing street.

Ben Hinton of Ben’s bar said: “A lot of businesses on the strip have already closed down due to the recession and a lack of tourism; this road could be a final blow”.

MPs call for phone rental to be slashed

2011-02-23

MPs yesterday called on the telecoms regulator to allow the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CyTA) to reduce its fixed monthly charges for landlines after it emerged that consumers pay up almost double the amount on fixed charges than they do on calls.

“Once again, we have stressed that it is unheard of for Cypriots to pay €16 monthly on fixed charges for landline telephones,” said the chairman of the House Commerce Committee, DISY’s Lefteris Christoforou.

“Many are forced to interrupt their contracts because of these charges.”

He said CyTA agreed to the need to reduce them, but the Telecommunications Regulator was opposed to it.

Paphos set for its biggest carnival parade ever

2011-02-23

THIS YEAR’S carnival parade in Paphos will break all records and be the biggest the town has ever seen, mayor Savvas Vergas said yesterday.

He said that so far more than 50 groups had signed up to participate in the procession.

The theme for this year’s King of the Carnival is Dionysius, who represents wine and entertainment – which is what this year’s celebrations are all about, according to the mayor.

“We are very pleased because tomorrow we start the 10 days of the carnival festival in Paphos,” he noted, adding “and we have many events planned in the city”.

The carnival’s main event would be the parade next Saturday through the centre of Paphos.

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.