CYPRIOTS Danes and the Irish produce the most waste per capita in the whole European Union, while the Czechs, Poles and Slovaks the least, data from the EU's statistics office showed yesterday.
Eurostat said one Dane produced on average 802 kg of municipal waste in 2008, the highest rate in the 27-nation bloc. Cypriots generated 770 kg of waste on average – 10 kilos per person more than the average American - and the Irish 733 kg.
However the data also showed that even though Danes produce more waste, Denmark burned 54 per cent of its waste, recycled a further 24 per cent and composted 18 per cent, putting only 4 per cent of it into landfills... 9 comments

GIORGOS LILLIKAS, a former Foreign Minister and protégé of the late President Tassos Papadopoulos, launched his much-publicised political comeback yesterday with an attack on the current Cyprus talks and President Demetris Christofias..
Lillikas, who is attempting a comeback from the political wilderness announced the creation of a political office prompted, among other things, by political and economic developments on the island.
“The Cyprus problem has entered a dangerous course,” Lillikas told a news conference. “From an invasion and occupation problem it is tending towards becoming a bi-communal problem of power allocation... 3 comments

PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias yesterday said he would not agree on a joint communiqué with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat if it would be considered an intermediate agreement.
“It depends on the contents of a communiqué and its aims,” Christofias said after a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Giorgos Papandreou in Athens.
The president said he had not objection to issuing a joint communiqué unless it would be considered an intermediate deal.
“This does not find us in agreement, because the Cyprus problem is made up of six-seven aspects,” Christofias said
The two sides are currently discussing only one aspect -- governance, he added... Read on

PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias yesterday came under heavy fire from across the political spectrum, except from AKEL, following his televised news conference on Thursday.
Even former president Glafcos Clerides entered the fray, commenting on the rotating presidency. Contrary to a comment by Christofias that the issue had been discussed by his predecessors, Clerides said he had never discussed it with the Turkish Cypriots in all the years he was negotiator.
The reason was simple: “Because (Turkish Cypriot leader) Rauf Denktash wanted two states, two sovereignties and two international personalities he knew there was no reason to suggest it because I would not accept it... 3 comments

AUTHORITIES are scrutinising a letter allegedly sent to a television station by a notorious murderer claiming he was not the mastermind behind the theft of former president Tassos Papadopoulos’ body.
Antonis Prokopiou Kitas, aka Al Capone, allegedly sent a letter to Sigma TV claiming he did not orchestrate the grave robbery late last year that shocked the island.
But he does assume his share of responsibility in the case.
Police said they will examine the contents of the letter in conjunction with the statement he gave investigators.
“In a statement he gave willingly, the convict admitted his involvement in the case … but he made some claims that are being investigated,” police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said... Read on

AUTHORITIES hopes that Cyprus will be completely free from its dependency on rainwater, the Director of the Water Development Department (WDD) said yesterday.
Speaking ahead of World Water Day on Monday, WDD Director, Sofoclis Aletraris, said yesterday that various projects were underway to ensure supply and educate people in sustainable water. "By the end of 2011 we hope to be completely independent of rainwater in Cyprus,” he said.
This would be ensured, he said, with the construction of four desalination plants with a capacity to match consumption on the hottest days in summer. "Water from the plants will primarily be used for drinking,” he added. "We are also looking at treating sewage water for use in agriculture... 9 comments

A BRITISH tourist has been jailed for ten months after being caught trying to spend forged Euro notes.
Carl Redden, a Market Trader from Birmingham, was holidaying with his fiancée, Suzanne Wilson last summer when he was caught with five forged €50 notes.
According to UK media reports, Redden went into a kiosk to buy lunch just hours after proposing to Wilson. He unwittingly handed over the forged note to the kiosk owner, who called the police as soon as he had scanned it.
Wilson told the Daily Mail "Carl explained that he didn't know the note was fake and I gave him on of my €20 notes to pay. The manager told us not to leave because the police had been called... 8 comments

THE HEAD of the Committee for the Protection of Competition (CPC) yesterday expressed his doubts over the government’s aim to ask the EU for approval to set a price ceiling on basic goods.
Furthermore, CPC head Costakis Christoforou said decisions such as the Commerce Ministry’s one to set a ceiling for the wholesale price of fuel wouldn’t resolve the market’s problems and weaknesses, but just offer a temporary solution... Read on

A €25 million contract to design and build the bi-communal waste water treatment plant of the Greater Nicosia Area at Mia Milia-Haspolat has commenced
Yesterday the appointed contractor, the WTE-EMEK Consortium, started the work for the design and construction of the new €25 million plant.
The new plant will be financed by the Nicosia Sewerage Board and the European Union. It will come on stream in May 2012.
The project is being implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) / Partnership for the Future which will act as the Contracting Authority/Employer... Read on

IRAN yesterday banned a Eurocypria aircraft from landing in the country, reports said.
Citing a government source, state broadcaster CyBC said the Iranians were troubled by the fact that the aircraft had entered Iran through Iraqi airspace, which is controlled by the United States.
The order for the plane to turn back was given while it was preparing to land at Teheran airport.
Reports said the aircraft had been granted permission from the Iranian civil aviation authorities.
The plane had taken off from Larnaca yesterday morning on the first flight to Iran to carry 189 tourists to Cyprus.
It returned to the island in the afternoon after refuelling in Syria... 1 comment