Pressure mounts to name detained doctor

2011-10-29

SHOCK AND outrage over the arrest and remand of a Larnaca gynaecologist for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a patient has raised a question over the naming of certain police suspects. 

Although police have said the doctor is in custody and no longer a danger to patients, the public, women especially, have been demanding to know his identity so they can determine whether or not they have been victims.

The head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society, Marios Liasides, yesterday called on the authorities to name the 56-year-old doctor.

These allegations “injure other colleagues too so we would prefer if the justice system chose to make his name public,” Liasides said.

Our View: Data protection law does need updating

2011-10-29

 

STROVOLOS mayor Savvas Eliophotou lost his legal battle in defence of the practice of traffic wardens taking photographs of illegally parked cars. The Supreme Court sided with the Commissioner of Personal Data Protection, who had told Strovolos Municipality that taking pictures of cars parked illegally was a violation of personal data.

In short, the Personal Data Protection law will continue to protect the law-breakers, who will now refuse to pay their parking fines on the false grounds that they had not parked their car illegally. The Supreme Court issued its decision based on its interpretation of the law, but it is a bad law that allows cheats and liars to break other laws with impunity. 

Kazamias; I don’t have a plan B

2011-10-29

FINANCE Minister Kikis Kazamias yesterday urged opposition parties to approve the 2012 budget saying he has no plan B to tackle the effects of a potential rejection.

Kazamias’ plea came a day after ratings agency Standard and Poor’s cut Cyprus’ long-term credit rating by a notch to BBB, citing the banking system’s exposure to sovereign Greek debt and delays in taking further measures to shore up the economy. 

The minister said the 2012 had to be approved alongside all additional measures geared towards shoring up public finances.

State fails to follow its own energy-saving advice

2011-10-29

THE GOVERNMENT is set to waste hundreds of thousands of euros on outdated light bulbs after inviting tenders for thousands of fluorescent, rather than low energy and longer lasting LED lights.

The tender, which calls for 23,600 various shaped and sized bulbs for government premises, is due in December, but it includes no provision for the more eco friendly bulbs, which consume less than a third of the power of conventional bulbs and last more than three times longer.

According to one LED lighting retailer, the tender is a wasted opportunity for the government to reduce its carbon footprint and save hundreds of thousands of euros in electricity prices and maintenance costs every year.

Cyprus marks ‘Ohi Day’

2011-10-29

CYPRUS yesterday marked Greece’s resistance in World War II with church services and school parades across the island.

“Similarly, we, the Cypriot Hellenism, who is today going through the most critical phase of its many thousand-year-old history, is inspired and led by the ever shinning light of October 28 to continue and intensify the struggle to end the anachronistic Turkish occupation,” acting president Yiannakis Omirou said after the parade in Nicosia.

The celebrations commemorate Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas’ rejection of an Italian demand to allow deployment of troops in Greece. 

The national holiday is known as Ohi Day, or No Day, in Greek. 

Commerce minister ‘not interested in mudslinging’

2011-10-29

THE COMMERCE Ministry will not be drawn into an exchange of petty arguments and will continue to perform its task as outlined by the law, Minister Praxoula Antoniadou said yesterday.

Speaking to journalists while attending the October 28 celebrations in Limassol, Antoniadou stressed the paramount significance of the ministry continuing its work in an efficient and swift way, and expressed her intention to shy away from any petty distractions.

The Minister has been on the receiving end of some heavy criticism this week from both the opposition and parliament for her decision to remove certain authorities from Energy Service top officials. 

New Paphos to Prague flights launched

2011-10-29

THE NEW airline route connecting Paphos and Prague was launched yesterday at  Paphos International Airport, with the arrival of 131 passengers of a Czech Airlines flight.

The new route, which will have flights once a week every Friday, is perceived as a crucial step for boosting the touristic development of the city of Paphos and the province. Paphos Deputy Mayor, Makis Roussis said that this will especially be true for the winter period.

The route will run until January 2, 2012 and will resume in the summer season, from March 8.

Five netted in poaching raids

2011-10-29

FIVE MEN were arrested on Thursday during a raid on poachers in Paphos, Larnaca and Limassol, with help from the Game Fund, according to police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos. 

He also announced that more checks will be carried out today and throughout the whole of the hunting season, which begins tomorrow.

The 28, 36 and 52-year-olds arrested in Paphos were charged in writing and released.

In the three premises searched by police four nets, four MP3 players with bird sound recordings, a rabbit iron trap, 31 black caps (ambelopoulia) and five hunting rifles without licences were found, among other poaching paraphernalia.

The Indignant fast for Cyprus ‘no’

2011-10-29

 

THE ‘INDIGNANT’ set up camp outside the Presidential Palace yesterday and will be fasting until Monday evening to symbolically mark ‘Ohi day by issuing their own ‘no’ to corruption in Cyprus. 

“In the same way that Greece said ‘no’ we are also saying ‘no’ to corruption, lies, not punishing the guilty,” Indignant member Mary Paraika told the Mail. 

Paraika said that a few people would be fasting for the whole of the long weekend, drinking only juices and water to prevent dehydration. 

There are family doctors on standby, Paraika said adding that people were free to come and go and perhaps fast for only 24 hours if they could not do the whole three-day stretch. 

Paphos hospice on track for 2012 opening

2011-10-29

THE ST MICHAELS Hospice building in Mesa Chorio, Paphos is due to be completed in the next few weeks, and according to local parish volunteers who have run the project, could open its doors to 2012 once they have met funding targets and obtained Health Ministry permits.

According to one of the volunteers on the project, Cameron McDonald, the Hospice’s mission is: “To offer free total hospice and palliative care to all in need regardless of religious belief, type of illness or nationality”

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.