Cyprus fires its honorary consul in Bonn

2013-01-31

THE CABINET has ended the appointment of Cyprus’ honorary consul in Bonn, Germany, after a series of actions and inactions “compromised” his position as representative of the country.

During a meeting earlier this week, the cabinet adopted a proposal by the foreign ministry to end his appointment following recommendations by the Cypriot embassy in Berlin. 

According to diplomatic sources, allegations of wrongdoing first surfaced in 2010 but took some years to verify before the ministry could go ahead and recommend the removal of Ioannis Vasiliou as the honorary consul in Bonn. 

Car torched

2013-01-31

A CAR was torched yesterday during the early hours as it was parked in a garage in Nicosia, police said. The fire broke out at around 1am according to a police spokesman. Members of the police and fire service arrived at the scene but the fire had already been extinguished by the 23-year-old owner of the vehicle. The scene was cordoned off while the police and fire service carried out an initial investigation to determine the cause. According to the police it was a case of arson. The car sustained damage of approximately €3,000.

Limassol marina welcomes first residents

2013-01-31

 

LIMASSOL Marina has welcomed its first residents. The delivery of the 94 luxury apartments and penthouses at Nereids Residences marks the beginning of the project’s first operational year, it said yesterday. 

Takis Palekythritis, General Manager of Limassol Marina Ltd said:  “We have delivered on time and we feel very proud to be among the best-selling developments in Europe, having achieved sales in excess of €86 million. We are very pleased to have attracted a good balance of high-calibre local and international buyers and we are confident of the positive impact this will have on local businesses and the Cyprus economy as a whole.”

Rustling

2013-01-31

POLICE received a report from a 58-year-old farmer in the Nicosia district that on Tuesday between 5.15pm and 9.30pm, 19 goats, six sheep and five lambs were stolen from his premises. The livestock is valued at around €3,000 with Morphou CID looking into the case. There have been several reports recently of animals being stolen from farms. Police suspect gangs from the north. In one instance, stolen and branded animals from the Greek Cypriot side were found in the north by Turkish Cypriot police.

Bike crash

2013-01-31

A 22-YEAR-OLD man is in Nicosia General Hospital after the motorbike he was riding collided with a car around 5.30pm on Tuesday on Ayios Giorgios Street in Lakatamia, police said. Under circumstances, which are being investigated, the young man who was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, lost control of his motorbike and crashed into an oncoming car. He was taken to Nicosia General where doctors confirmed he had suffered various injuries including a serious head trauma.

Support available for victims of torture

2013-01-31

THE Humanitarian Affairs Unit of the non-governmental organisation Future Worlds Centre has announced its selection for the fourth time by the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture to support the work of the Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture (URVT) for 2013. 

URVT was created by the Future Worlds Centre ((legally registered as Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute) in June 2006 with funding from the European Refugee Fund and the Republic of Cyprus.

The aim of URVT is to provide rehabilitation services to victims of torture and trafficking, and to assist them to integrate into Cypriot society. For this purpose, the Unit provides such persons and their families with psychological, legal, and social support. 

Court rejects Antoniadou discrimination case

2013-01-31

THE SUPREME Court yesterday threw out an application by presidential candidate Praxoulla Antoniadou Kyriacou who claimed that state broadcaster CyBC has been discriminating against her as a presidential candidate in the February 17 elections. 

Antoniadou Kyriacou asked the court to issue a temporary order suspending a CyBC decision not to include her in their polls and broadcasts along with the three main contenders. For example, only the three main contenders have been invited to participate in live televised presidential debates. 

The CyBC board said Antoniadou Kyriacou was not a presidential candidate as they understood the law, a response which she said broke principles of equality and damaged her prospects as a candidate.

Cooking fire

2013-01-31

THE OVERHEATING of oil in a pan was the apparent reason for a fire in a flat in Nicosia at around 8.15pm on Tuesday, police said. The fire was extinguished by members of the public before the fire service arrived at the scene. From initial investigations, the apparent cause of the fire was a pan which was left on the stove and overheated. Extensive damage was caused to the kitchen counters and the extraction fan while the 45-year-old and 76-year-old residents of the flat were taken to Nicosia General Hospital with respiratory problems. Both received first aid, with the 76-year-old being released while the 45-year-old was kept overnight for observation.

Cyprus and Serbia strengthen ties

2013-01-31

CYPRUS and Serbia yesterday expressed their will for enhanced cooperation, as the two countries held their first intergovernmental meeting in Belgrade.

According to a joint communiquι issued after the meeting, Serbia and Cyprus pledged to further economic and trade cooperation and reconfirmed their mutual support on a political level.

The two countries discussed ways to improve their cooperation in the areas of tourism, renewable energy sources, particularly solar energy, transport, cultural exchanges, justice and public order, education and health, the communiquι said.

Roads closed

2013-01-31

ROADS leading to Troodos were yesterday closed to all vehicles, except those able to operate with four-wheel drive, police said. Frost on the road was the reason police gave for their decision, with thick fog also causing some problems in mountainous areas. Drivers are asked to be extra careful in these circumstances by keeping their vehicles in low gears while driving while also keeping a safe distance from vehicles in front.

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.