I AM a registered student in my final year of a Business Administration degree and a citizen of Pakistan. Last week I was driving some friends and their baby from Larnaca to Nicosia on the main highway. The conditions were dreadful as there was a thunder storm in progress and visibility very poor which caused me to drive with extreme caution. On approaching Dali region I was confronted with a stationery vehicle, unlit and abandoned, in the centre lane. I engaged emergency braking but was unable to avoid a collision. My car was written off but my passengers were safe although extremely shocked... Read on

THE FINANCIAL crisis has been raging in Cuba since 1989, when the Cold War ended and the former Soviet Union withdrew its support for the communist island. Since then, Cubans have lived under grim circumstances, but poverty and economic isolation have spurred them to find ways around the lack of modern medicines and chemical pesticides. The result is a resurgence of alternative therapies and organic agriculture. Now that Cuba is cautiously opening its doors, the West may be able to learn from its example... Read on

About seven months ago, I wrote a letter requesting that Scottish Freemasons who didn’t attend Masonry in Cyprus but were particularly interested in a Scottish Lodge in Cyprus contact me. A number of Scottish Brethren did contact me and the result was that after detailed discussions, the creation of Lodge St Andrew 13 took place on February 13, 2013. The Lodge, totally approved by both the Grand lodge of Scotland and the Grand Lodge of Cyprus (with whom we are a member) is operational. Needless to say, we have an excellent relationship with the Grand lodge of Cyprus... Read on

I AM writing to express my concern about the state of the pavements and walkways in Paphos. I have just returned from a week’s holiday in Paphos where I fell on the second day (May 2). I got my foot caught in one of the sunken lights at Paphos harbour front and ended up breaking a finger, dislocating another and badly bruising myself. I ended up with my hand and arm in plaster and will remain so for six weeks. However I met several locals who said they were not surprised at my accident because of the state and the position of the lights. Other visitors at my hotel also fell there and in other spots as well. This was in broad daylight and sober!Helen Hare, UK ... Read on

As a visitor to Cyprus I noticed with interest two letters of complaint from tourists in last week's Sunday Mail. What has distressed me most has been the vast quantity of ugly graffiti to be seen everywhere. Surely this sign of disrespect and disaffection is a fundamental attack on your society. If you do not bring up your young people to love and respect their country how can you expect outsiders to care about what happens to Cyprus? Your president claims that once again Cyprus will be a proud nation with dignity. I suggest he starts with a grass roots, nationwide anti-graffiti campaign. Graffiti puts off both tourists and businessmen alike, and can only further impoverish your country.Lucy Jenkins, Pissouri, Limassol... Read on

I know a guy who used to have a motorbike rental shop until he became bankrupt. The bank took his bikes and he owed thousands in VAT.After a while he opened a new shop selling motorbikes. I bought a bike at his shop. He was a good talker. I gave him the money for the bike but I never received it. He declared bankruptcy again. It was said his wife left the country with the kids because she couldn't stand it any more. It was a week ago when I visited Coral Bay and who had opened a new shop? It was same guy with new bikes and his lovely wife sitting in the office.The blood went to my head. He took €6,000 away from me. He owes so much to the bank and still it is possible for him to open another shop.  Are there no rules in this country?... 6 comments

‘Cypriots really hate being told what to do’. This headline, which appeared in Wednesday May 1 Cyprus Mail, caused me to smile wryly. These few words are exactly why Cyprus is in the mess it is. The problem didn’t start when they joined the EU. It started in 1960. The Cypriot people were so anxious to gain independence that they failed to acknowledge that running a country is about telling people what to do.   One can see this by the fiasco of getting people to pay taxes and it doesn’t help with having governments of the same ilk.     Traffic directives are abused because no one likes being told to obey the rules of the road.  Building regulations went the same way - no one likes being told what to build and where... 5 comments

Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides made a point that I hope is not lost as we move forward towards re-activation of talks to negotiate a settlement to the Cyprus problem.In the course of his remarks, Mr Kasoulides stated that Cyprus is the most predictable, meaning I think that it’s also the most reliable, neighbour to Israel. In essence, his remarks echo similar remarks made by President Anastasiades during his recent visit to Israel. The point, which I think bears repeating, is that Cyprus Israeli relations are not just underpinned by common interests, but also shared values... 1 comment

I refer to my letter ‘A new IPT law by June? Fat chance’ dated April 25, where I asked: Please can someone - not from the authorities - explain how on earth are they going to do all this?Well, the responses/replies/comments received, through the CM website letters’ column, though appropriate, resulted in those not in authority but primarily involved being noticeable absent. The estate agents, lawyers, builders, and banks were nowhere to be seen, or should I say, were all keeping their heads down, or is it, that they agreed with my comments and have no clue how, by June 2013? ALL those with property - legal or not - and land are to be listed on a database and demands sent out for payment in September 2013... 1 comment

A report published this week In America says among other things the following:  As the US housing markets recovers, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have returned to profitability’ allowing both mortgage financing companies to submit sizable payments to the US 'Treasury. The $59.4 billion dividend from Fannie Mae and $7 bi1llon from Freddie Mac will help-to postpone the raising of the debt ceiling, as the deficit is reduced by a combined $67 billion. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the two biggest companies in America involved in housing mortgages and were the prime culprits who were in danger of collapsing some five years ago when they were rescued by the US Treasury... Read on