BANK workers union ETYK yesterday accused the government and parliament of violating labour relations principles by not consulting with them before drafting the bill to prop up the Popular Bank, which also entails salary cuts.“Our organisation strongly protests the fact that it was fully ignored and was not given the chance to submit its views, which we believe would have improved the contents of the bill, without burdening taxpayers with the cost,” a statement said.The bill, approved by parliament on Friday, calls for salary cuts of at least 10 per cent in 2012 and an additional 8.0 per cent in 2013.“Reduction in personnel earnings and benefits in Cyprus will reach 12.5 per cent on average annually and will be enforced on a sliding scale,” the bill said... 4 comments

THE GOVERNMENT yesterday dismissed as pure fantasy Turkish news reports claiming that Israel plans to deploy as many as 20,000 commandos in Cyprus in order to protect its energy projects in the region.Acting government spokesman Christos Christofides said the report - first broadcast by Turkey's state-run news agency Anatolia - was clearly a plant."It is through such groundless leaks that Ankara seeks to justify its intransigence at the negotiating table, to blast the Cyprus peace talks and focus on so-called plan B's, and to stoke tensions ahead of Cyprus' assumption of the EU Presidency," said Christofides... 8 comments

HEALTH Minister Stavros Malas has ordered an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of 23-year-old Charalambos Charalambous, who died suddenly on Saturday morning of a ruptured aortic arch, a day after being sent home from hospital.Charalambous visited the Nicosia General Hospital A&E on Friday complaining of severe chest pains. He was given an ECG, and blood tests were done after which he was given an injection for the pain and sent home.The following morning, Charalambous, from Denia village in the Nicosia district, lost consciousness at home but was dead by the time the ambulance reached a hospital... 5 comments

A HUGE fracas at a Paphos bar over the weekend left three police officers injured, and the same number of men in custody. According to Paphos police spokesman, Nicos Tsapis, three officers were taken to Paphos general hospital where they received treatment for injuries sustained during the melee on Saturday night over a sound system at a pub.“The members of Paphos police were hurt during an incident which took place in Ayios Antonios Street in Kato Paphos soon after midnight on Saturday. They were not seriously injured,” said Tsapis... 11 comments

CYPRUS could very well become China’s medical stepping stone to Europe following concrete moves by the health ministry to attract Chinese investment, including a medical centre offering traditional Chinese medicine alongside conventional treatment, Health Minister Stavros Malas has said.“The fact there is an interest is a given,” Malas told state broadcaster CyBC a few days after he returned from an official visit to China.Malas met with his Chinese counterpart, Chen Zu, a week ago when they discussed “collaboration venues in the medical field,” a Health Ministry announcement said.China is looking for “a base to use for its financial activities and in my opinion, Cyprus lends itself to this opportunity,” Malas said. ... 5 comments

MONEY comes, money goes: MPs of the House Finance Committee yesterday agreed to a government request for the release of some €114,000 in order that the state can then pay the taxman.The amount represents the income tax on fees paid to constitutional law expert Claire Palley for her services to former President Tassos Papadopoulos.Palley served as consultant to Papadopoulos from 2004 to 2007, for which she earned around €500,000.She was hired on a net-of-tax salary arrangement - where the tax on income is paid by the employer on behalf of the employee. This meant it was the Office of the Presidency which hired her that owed any income tax to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD)... 2 comments

THE Greek Cypriots remain fully committed to the reunification process but the Turkish side is employing delaying tactics, President Demetris Christofias said yesterday during an official visit to Austria.“The difficulties and obstacles we are facing do not sidetrack us,” Christofias said.  “Our vision is and will remain a peaceful and united Cyprus, the common homeland of all its lawful inhabitants.”The president reiterated that the talks to reunify the island were not progressing well, adding that “we are particularly concerned by the obvious delaying tactics, which the Turkish side is using.”Christofias said these tactics along with the threats voiced by Turkey over the Republic’s natural gas exploration were an unacceptable anachronism... 1 comment

THE NUMBER of single parents, entitled to a state allowance, is set to almost double according to a bill discussed in the House Labour Committee yesterday.“Under the previous law, some 5,500 people were entitled to, and received, single parent’s allowance but that number will double with the new law to reach 10,000 people,” the head of the Labour Committee Andreas Fakontis said.This will be a direct consequence of “changing the income criteria for the allowance so as to meet those laid down in December as part of austerity measures,” Fakontis said... 1 comment

AN AGREEMENT was reached yesterday to limit the activities of the National Guard’s firing range at Ayia Marina Xyliatou as much as possible, following complaints from local residents for years. According to Defence Minister Demetris Eliades, solutions were found that serve their needs and that of the community’s. “Arrangements have been made so that the times and days that the exercises take place do not affect any farming activities,” he said yesterday following a meeting with the community council, and members of the farmers’ unions, PEK and EKA... 1 comment