By Bejay Browne

With emotions running high over a proposed ‘white zone’ suggested by Green party MP George Perdikis postponing development in the sea caves area of Peyia, a public meeting on Sunday looks set to be well attended by locals and council members.

The white zone suggestion is opposed by most of the council, with the exception of local resident and councillor, Linda Leblanc.

“We need to have a masterplan for the area and any development should be sustainable and exist alongside the environment without destroying it, as is the law,” she said.

She told the Sunday Mail that whist she understands the wishes of Peyia landowners to exercise their right to develop their land, she supports the idea of a white zone, that effectively would mean that for a short period of time no building permits along the coastline from Ayios Giorgos to Coral Bay would be issued or examined, so the state could take decisions on protecting the area.

The suggestion comes after weeks of demonstrations and press reports about the six villas being built right by the sea caves area and the news this week that an environmental impact authorisation has just been granted for a five-star, eight-storey hotel and 44 villas at nearby Kafizis beach.

The wider public has been angered over environmental damage at the sea caves, which are a birthing spot for the endangered Mediterranean monk seal (monachus monachus).

NGOs – including Save Akamas-Save Cyprus – environmentalists and nature lovers are encouraging the public to take a stand against such projects in Cyprus before it’s too late.

Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis entered the fray on Friday, saying he would announce 20 measures to help resolve the ongoing debate.

Some of the proposed measures Kadis is putting forth include forbidding water sports and fishing within 300 metres of the closest caves used by the monk seals and the creation of a buffer zone that will not allow development within a certain distance of the beach’s protection zone.

Protesters at the site of development of the Peyia sea caves ( Linda James)

Leblanc said that as much of the coastline and adjacent land in Peyia is privately owned, locals are up in arms, incorrectly believing that a white zone, if approved, could be introduced almost overnight, and then they would be ‘stuck’ with a no build zone for the foreseeable future.

“This is not so, the zone would be in place only until after proper environmental studies have been carried out and conclusions reached. It is very complicated, as much of the coastline of Peyia is Natura 2000 marine protected and the surrounding land zoning is all different.”

The European Commission’s Natura 2000 is a network of sites selected to ensure the long-term survival of Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats. How a site is chosen depends on what it aims to protect and stems from the Habitats Directive, which ensures the conservation of a wide range of rare, threatened or endemic animal and plant species.

Natura 2000 protects not only designated areas of land but also marine habitats. More than 3000 marine Natura 2000 sites have been designated, which cover more than five per cent of the total EU marine area (over 300,000 km2).

Klitos Papastylianou, from the Initiative for the Protection of the Natural Coastline, said that the area of the ‘sea caves’ in Peyia covers the entire area from Aspros River in the north and Keratidi Bay in the south and is not only a Marine Protected Area (MPA) but also includes a terrestrial area along the coastline of Peyia municipality.

“The entire sea cave area is included in the Natura 2000 network, both as a Site of Community Interest and Special Protection Area Akamas Peninsula” he said.

Additionally, the entire area is situated within the Beach Protection Zone (92.3m) and also should be protected as part of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol of the Barcelona Convention (100m).

Furthermore, numerous declared ancient monuments are found in the area, mostly from Aspros River to Kafizi, he added.

In 2008 the relevant minister signed off a few areas which were rezoned for development and these included the area where the six contentious villas are being built, said Leblanc.

The councillor said that the government is obliged to follow EU law and this includes the stipulations of Natura 2000. Perdikis has said that the Greens would lodge a formal complaint with the EU.

Papastylianou is concerned that between March 2017 and March 2018, three different environmental authorisations were granted, for five different town planning applications and two different localities.

In March 2017 a preliminary environmental impact authorisation was granted for the six villas being built by Leptos Estates without an appropriate assessment, he said.

Construction of the villas got underway mid-September 2017, following all of the necessary permits being granted.

Last May a preliminary environmental impact authorisation was also granted for nine villas by Celicandia Ltd) in Kafizis and Manikis, again without an appropriate assessment according to Papastylianou, and on March 9 the same authorisation was granted for the eight-storey hotel and 44 villas by Korantina Homes Ltd in the same areas.

Korantina Homes and Celicandia both have the same managing director, George Ioannou. The area is already home to Cap St George a luxury beach club and restaurant also developed by Korantina homes.

Reports indicate that this week work at the six villas has speeded up and all of the developer’s signs have been removed.

Currently, both the auditor general and the attorney general are investigating to see if the rezoning of the area included any discrepancies, and there could be consequences if any are found, said Leblanc.

Leblanc noted that Peyia Mayor Marinos Lambrou, who is actively trying to find a solution to the current situation, requested all of the relevant information from the land registry to check who owns land close to the coastline that would be affected by a white zone.

Leblanc said that most of it appears to privately owned and belong to locals, which is why they are adamant that they want to hold onto their right to build, she said.

The decision to hold an ‘all Peyia public meeting’– which is only open to those from the area – was taken following an extraordinary council meeting on Thursday called by Lambrou to discuss the development at the sea caves.

Leblanc said the government should have implemented a plan on how to integrate development alongside Natura 2000.

“Development is permitted, but it is very specific and mustn’t have an impact on any of the protected species,” she said.

The ‘all Peyia public meeting,’ will be held in the centre of the village on Sunday afternoon at 5pm.

Croatia declared a state of emergency on Sunday in its central Kosinj valley after the Lika river flooded, cutting off road access to about 500 people and leaving some villages without electricity.

Mihael Kurtes, an official in the Perusic municipality, said the water level was rising by 5 centimetres per hour. State television reported that around 20 houses had been flooded, with others at risk.

Floods in central Croatia have been caused by melting of heavy snow which fell in late February and early March followed by heavy rain in recent days.

Mostly threatened by high water levels in the rivers are the central city of Karlovac and the towns of Jasenovac and Hrvatska Kostajnica where a landslide last week destroyed around a dozen houses. Fresh landslide is threatening near the town of Petrinja.

In neigbouring Montenegro, the Old Town of the coastal city of Budva was seen at risk of flooding after high winds and heavy rain over the weekend, while several villages in Ulcinj, near the Albanian border, were cut off by the rising Bojana river.

Police are investigating a case of ‘attempted abortion’ and concealment of child birth, after a dead new-born was found in a plastic bag on Saturday in the Nicosia home of a 26-year-old woman.

According to the police, the woman was transferred on Saturday morning to a private clinic with stomach pain. In the examination by  doctor, it emerged that she had given birth or had suffered a miscarriage within the last 24 hours.

During a search of her home, police located a dead new-born, along with the placenta and umbilical cord in a plastic bag. A state pathologist was called to the home to confirm the death.

Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides is flying to Brussels on Sunday, to attend the Foreign Affairs and General Affairs Councils.

According to an announcement , the Foreign Affairs Council is expected to discuss among others, the situation in Ukraine, Syria and Iran. At the General Affairs Council, ministers will discuss preparations for the next European Council which will take place between March 22 and 23.

While in Brussels, Christodoulides will hold meetings with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, and First Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans. He will also meet with the Commissioner responsible for Humanitarian Aid Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos and others.

On the sidelines of the Council, Christodoulides will attend on Sunday a working dinner of the Euroepan People’s Party (EPP), in the presence of Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources Günther Oettinger, to discuss the future multi-annual financial framework and EU external relations.

On Tuesday, Christodoulides will attend a working breakfast of the EPP, to discuss preparations ahead of the European Council, including issues such as EU-Turkey relations.

Four prominent Russian and Lithuanian artists will come together on Wednesday in Nicosia to perform a fundraising concert of classical music and lyrical opera in support of Telethon.

The concert Melodies of Life, which will be hosted at the Hellenic Bank Head Office building, will include works by Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Donizetti and Liszt.

Tatiana Stupak (who also helped organise the event) will play the piano, while Victoria Lanskaya Pastellas will take to her violin, Robert Grod will join them on the cello and the ensemble will be completed with tenor Artem Volkov.

Stupak started piano lessons at the age of five. She studied at the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory in Saint Petersburg. She is the winner of a Bach international competition and an organ international competition in Russia. Last year she opened her own music centre, where music is taught by prize-winning professionals.

Pastellas graduated from Moscow State University as a classical and jazz violinist. She has travelled with orchestras to many countries and has performed solo at concerts and at studio recordings for many famous Russian singers. Before moving to Cyprus in September 2017 she played at several major Moscow venues including the Kremlin.

Grod studied in Vilnius at the Balys Dvarionas music school and at the Moscow State Conservatory. He is a laureate prize winner of the Dvarionas and Urba music competitions in Lithuania. He currently works for Cyprus Young String Soloists, a programme that offers instrumental instruction to children from three to 18.

Volkov studied at the municipal school of music and performing arts. In 2007 he became a laureate of the All-Russian Amber Nightingale competition. He received his higher professional education in conducting and singing at the Moscow State Conservatory.

The concert, with a ticket price of €20 and with all proceeds going to Telethon, will be followed by a cocktail reception.

Melodies of Life
Charity concert for Telethon. March 21. Hellenic Bank Head Office Building, Corner Limassol and Athalassa Avenue 200, Strovolos, Nicosia. 7.30pm. €20. Tel: 99-122472

An experienced Cirque du Soleil performer has died after plunging onto a stage during an aerial straps routine at a weekend show in Tampa, Florida, the company said on Sunday.

The incident occurred on Saturday night when Yann Arnaud, 38, fell during a performance of the show VOLTA, according to Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. The French performance artist died of his injuries at a nearby hospital.

Arnaud had been performing in Cirque shows for 15 years and was considered one of the company’s most experienced entertainers, president and CEO Daniel Lamarre said in a telephone interview.

“We were very surprised, considering his experience, that something like that happened,” said Lamarre, speaking from Tampa, where he had flown to be with the show’s cast. “I cannot describe to you how the people feel. It’s terrible.”

The death is the third fatality involving a Cirque performer in the company’s 34 years, said Lamarre, adding that the aerial strap act is seen as a relatively safe number.

“It was awful. You heard all the cries of the audience. There were children there and they were freaking out,” spectator Julian Martinez, who witnessed the accident, told local TV station WFLA.

Lamarre said he could not share further details about the incident involving Arnaud, a husband and father of two young children.

“We are offering our full and transparent collaboration to the authorities as they look into the circumstances of this accident,” the company said in a statement, adding the last two shows of Volta planned for Tampa on Sunday have been cancelled.

Local media reports said Arnaud appeared to lose his grip on a strap and fell, bringing the show to an immediate halt. Tampa police said the incident is under investigation by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Israel said on Monday it had arrested a French citizen, an employee of France’s consulate in Jerusalem, on suspicion of using a diplomatic car to smuggle guns from the Islamist Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Held since Feb 15, Romain Franck is accused of moving a total of 70 pistols and two assault rifles between the Palestinian territories on at least five occasions, the Shin Bet security agency said after a gag order on the case was lifted.

Franck “acted for financial profit, on his own initiative and without the knowledge of his superiors,” a Shin Bet statement said. He is not believed to have also had an ideological motives such as support for Palestinian militants, a Shin Bet official told Reuters.

“This is a very serious incident in which the immunity and privileges granted to foreign diplomatic missions in Israel were cynically exploited to smuggle dozens of weapons that may be used for terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces,” the statement said.

Franck, 23, was due to appear at a 1230 GMT Israeli court hearing at which formal charges would be filed. His lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment on how Franck might plead.

A Facebook page under the name Roman Franck, and carrying photographs that looked similar to the mugshot published by the Shin Bet, shows images of the young man against desert vistas.

“Feeling good in Palestine,” says one caption.

A Jan. 17 posting said the Facebook account-holder was “traveling to Jerusalem starting to (sic) a new adventure”.

A spokesman for the French Embassy in Tel Aviv described Franck as “a member of the consulate-general in Jerusalem” and said France was taking the case seriously and cooperating with Israeli authorities.

Franck was arrested along with a Palestinian from East Jerusalem employed as a security guard at the consulate as well as seven other suspects, the Shin Bet said.

It accused him of using a consulate-owned sports utility vehicle, which enjoyed more cursory Israeli security checks due to its diplomatic status, to bring the factory-produced guns from Gaza to Palestinian arms dealers in the West Bank.

According to the Shin Bet statement, Franck received the guns from a Palestinian employed by the French Cultural Centre in Gaza. It could not immediately be reached for comment.

Most countries keep their embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv, as well as consulates in Jerusalem that handle diplomatic outreach to the Palestinians.

Israel counts all of Jerusalem as its capital, a status not recognised abroad although the United States, breaking with other world powers, plans to move its embassy in Israel to the city in May.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they seek to establish in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Mohamed Salah’s goalscoring exploits this season are having a similarly positive impact at Liverpool to that of Luis Suarez had when the Uruguayan was at Anfield, according to club captain Jordan Henderson.

Manager Juergen Klopp said Salah was close to the same level as Barcelona’s Lionel Messi after the Egyptian scored four goals in Saturday’s 5-0 league win over Watford, taking his tally to 36 goals in 41 games in all competitions.

The 25-year-old’s prolific debut season has also led to comparisons with Suarez, who moved from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2014 after helping the Merseyside club come close to winning the league title with 31 goals in 33 matches.

“They are both fantastic players in their own right and you can’t compare them,” Henderson said.

“They are different players. I know they score a lot of goals and both work hard off the ball but it is very difficult to make that comparison.

“Luis moved on to Barcelona and is doing fantastically well. He is a fantastic player who I was privileged to play with.

“But Mo this season has been unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. He is doing it every week, without fail.”

Henderson believes that Salah’s strike rate this season has given Liverpool’s other players the assurance of knowing there will usually be an end product to all their hard work, much as they had when Suarez was leading the line.

“It’s the confidence,” Henderson added. “You have someone like Mo who does the hardest part of the game, which is putting the ball in the back of the net.

“Then, as a team, if we work as hard as we possibly can, Mo (is) going to finish it in the final third. We had that with Luis. You know when you are walking out there are so many goals out there for you.”

Liverpool booked a Champions League quarter-final tie against league rivals Manchester City last week following their 5-0 aggregate win over Porto in the last-16.

Klopp’s team are third in the league, two points behind second-placed Manchester United having played one game more, and travel to Crystal Palace on March 31.

Rory McIlroy staged a spectacular back nine charge to claim a three shot victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, collecting his first PGA Tour win since 2016 and putting himself among the red-hot favourites for the U.S. Masters.

Two back of overnight leader Henrik Stenson when the day began, McIlroy overhauled the Swede with a brilliant error-free final round eight-under 64.

The Northern Irishman hit five birdies over his last six holes, including a nerve-wracking clutch 25-foot birdie at the 18th to clinch his first PGA Tour title since the 2016 Tour championships.

“I kept saying the last few weeks, I wasn’t that far away and it just takes something to click into place,” McIlroy said in a greenside interview.

“Something clicked into place with my game and obviously something clicked into place in my putting and this is the result.

“It’s so nice to see everything come together finally.”

McIlroy arrived in Orlando with plenty of concern over the state of his game having missed the cut in two of his four PGA Tour starts this year with his best result a tie for 20th.

After Sunday’s round, though, the Northern Irishman was right back in the conversation about who will win next month’s U.S. Masters at Augusta, where he will have another chance to complete his collection of all four major titles.

McIlroy strung together four consistent subpar rounds for an 18-under 270 total and a three shot victory over American Bryson DeChambeau (68).

Briton Justin Rose (67) finished alone in third while Stenson (71) faded to fourth.

Tiger Woods, an eight-time winner at Bay Hill, had a 69 to cap another solid comeback effort and finished in a tie for fifth.

“OWN HISTORY”

After a tense afternoon at Bay Hill Golf Club, McIlroy had looked poised for an uneventful finish when he stepped onto the 18th tee with a three shot lead.

But before McIlroy could get to his second shot, DeChambeau turned up the pressure with an eagle at 16 to trim the advantage to one.

McIlroy, however, had the answer and rolled in a 25-footer for birdie at the last, triggering a roar from the massive gallery and a huge fist pump from the Northern Irishman.

“I’ve seen Tiger making this one enough times, so I was just trying to emulate that,” said McIlroy.

“Just to be able to create my own little bit of history at the 18th green here is pretty special and I’m just really proud of myself to have hung in there over the last few months.

“The last time I won a PGA Tour event was the day Mr. Palmer passed away and so it’s a little bit ironic I come here and win.”

McIlroy’s dramatics overshadowed another patented charge from Woods, who had put himself within one shot of the lead with four to play.

Decked out in his familiar final round red, Woods mixed six birdies with a single bogey through his opening 13 holes but watched his charge fizzle with back-to-back bogeys at 16 and 17.

While it was disappointing end to promising week, the 14-times major winner will take away plenty of positives as he looks ahead to next month’s U.S. Masters.

Still in the early stages of his comeback from spinal fusion surgery and years of back issues, Woods result offered more evidence that he is getting close to his old form coming on the heels of a runnerup finish last Sunday at the Valspar.

“I felt pretty good out there, I hit the ball probably a little bit better than I did last week,” said Woods.

“This golf course affords the opportunity to go ahead and stretch it out a little bit, the greens were really smooth and really fast and I felt like I really putted well the entire week.”

The eighth installment in the sci-fi saga picked up the coveted Best Film accolade at Sunday (18.03.18) evening’s ceremony, as well as Best Director for Rian Johnson and Best Actress for Daisy Ridley, while franchise legend Mark Hamill – who had his final outing as Luke Skywalker – was honoured with the Empire Icon prize. It was also honoured for Best Visual Effects and Best Costume Design.

Accepting her award, Daisy admitted she had been having a crisis of confidence when she worked on the film, as she was shooting it at the time her franchise debut as Rey, in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, was out in cinemas.

She told the audience at London’s Roundhouse: “When we made ‘Jedi’, the first one had just come out and I was sort of having a bit of a moment. I felt so self-conscious.”

She went on to thank “all the people who make you feel like you can do it.”

Daisy had presented Mark with his Icon Award earlier in the evening, and the 66-year-old actor dedicated the honour to his legion of fans.

However, he admitted he didn’t think he’d be able to deliver an acceptance speech as well as 12-year-old ‘Logan’ actress Dafne Keen had when she’d picked up Best Female Newcomer earlier in the evening.

He said: “I try to do my homework and make prepared remarks, but nothing prepares you for a moment like this. Plus, Dafne Keen was far more articulate than I’ll ever be.

“Empire I think of as a magazine written by fans, for fans. First and foremost, that describes me, and I think the fans realise that — I’m one of them.

“I share this with all of you, and with the fans. Without them, I certainly wouldn’t be standing here.”

Elsewhere at the ceremony, Hugh Jackman was named Best Actor thanks for his final outing as mutant Wolverine in ‘Logan’, and he FaceTimed his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness as he accepted the honour.

He said: “When we started making this movie, every single email I wrote had the heading ‘Utopia’. We wanted to make something that was our dream project for this character. We could not have achieved that without this incredible team.”

Addressing his wife, he then said: ” Baby, you’ve sacrificed more than anything for this.”

Like many of the winners, Hugh also paid tribute to his loyal fans.

After praising “natural” Dafne, he said: “In the last 20 years I have learned a lot about this character. There are 20 million people out there who still know a hell of a lot more about this character than me. This award and this movie is for those people.”

The evening ended with Steven Spielberg being presented with the Empire Legend of Our Lifetime Award, which saw him introduced to the stage following a video tribute featuring messages from the likes of Meryl Streep, Tom Hiddleston, J.J. Abrams and Olivia Cooke.

Rakuten TV Empire Awards 2018 list of winners:

Empire Inspiration:

Amma Asante

Empire Visionary Award:

Edgar Wright

Empire Icon:

Mark Hamill

Empire Legend of Our Lifetime:

Steven Spielberg

Best Film presented by Sky Cinema:

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’

Best Director presented by Vue Entertainment:

Rian Johnson – ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’

Best Actress:

Daisy Ridley – ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’

Best Actor:

Hugh Jackman – ‘Logan’

Best Male Newcomer:

Josh O’Connor – ‘God’s Own Country’

Best Female Newcomer:

Dafne Keen – ‘Logan’

Best Screenplay:

‘Get Out’

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy:

‘Wonder Woman’

Best British Film presented by The Hollywood Reporter:

‘God’s Own Country’

Best Horror:

‘Get Out’

Best Documentary:

‘I Am Not Your Negro’

Best Comedy presented by Monkey Shoulder:

‘The Death Of Stalin’

Best Thriller presented by Absolute Radio:

‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’

Best Animated Film:

‘Coco’

Best Soundtrack:

‘Baby Driver’

Best Costume Design:

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’

Best Production Design:

‘Baby Driver’

Best Visual Effects presented by Vue Entertainment:

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’

Best Make-up And Hairstyling:

‘Beauty And The Beast’

Best TV Series:

‘The Crown’

Best TV Actress:

Nicole Kidman (‘Big Little Lies’)

Best TV Actor:

Jason Isaacs (‘Star Trek: Discovery’)

Juan Martin del Potro saved three match points in a thrilling final at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday before handing world number one Roger Federer his first loss of the year and claiming his maiden Masters 1000 title.

The Argentine stunned a raucous Indian Wells crowd that had been loudly backing Federer to continue his winning streak and secure the biggest win in the nine years since his U.S. Open title triumph with a 6-4 6-7(8) 7-6(2) victory.

Federer, the defending champion, had chalked up 17 consecutive wins in 2018, a run which included his 20th grand slam title at the Australian Open, but was unable to outlast his determined 29-year-old opponent.

Del Potro was considered a genuine threat to Federer’s dominance of the game when he won at Flushing Meadows in 2009 but has been dogged since by a series of wrist problems which almost ended his career.

“I’m still shaking I’m so nervous. It’s difficult to describe with words, it’s like a dream,” del Potro said on court after extending his own winning streak to 11 matches.

“I’ve been working hard to get this, and I did it after all my problems, all my surgeries. I can’t believe I’m here and winning a Masters 1000, beating Roger. It’s amazing.”

Beating Federer has never been easy – del Potro had succeeded just six times in 24 previous attempts – and the nailbiting final lasted almost three hours with both players taking occasional issue with the chair umpire.

Del Potro arrived in the Californian desert on the back of a title win in Acapulco but had far from a smooth ride against an agitated Federer, who simply would not give up on his quest for a sixth Indian Wells title.

The Argentine seized the opening set and had a match point in the second set tie break but misfired on a forehand – usually his most dependable weapon – to allow the 36-year-old Swiss back into the match.

“I was thinking about (that) forehand miss the entire time,” del Potro said.

With Federer on top 6-5 in the second set tie break, he appeared to fire an ace to clinch the set, but a late challenge by del Potro overturned the call and the Swiss was double faulted.

An annoyed Federer barked at the umpire during a changeover and, fired up by his grievance, took the second set to even up the contest before pushing del Potro to the limits in the final stanza.

The third set went with serve until Federer blasted a cross-court winner to break del Potro’s serve and take a 5-4 advantage – breaking a run of 32 consecutive service game wins for the Argentine.

The Swiss maestro served for the set, and the title, but del Potro dug deep to save three match points, two at 40-15 down, before breaking back to send the stanza to a tiebreak, which the Argentine dominated.

“I lost my serve a little bit, and then he was clean and I wasn’t. And then it goes very quickly in the breaker,” Federer said.

“As close as it can be sometimes when you’re not feeling it or momentum has shifted, it’s just crazy how it can go the other way.”

Celebrate world storytelling day on Wednesday in Nicosia when storyteller and clarinet player Marina Katsari will tell magical tales along with her friends.

Katsari will be joined by Eliana Pavlou on bass and French horn, Dimitris Fyrios on guitar and percussion and Vaggelis Gettos on accordion and vocals, to show just how magical the art of storytelling can be.

They will tell about the day the ant and the grasshopper drank tequila on a hammock, about when the three little goats sat down to eat a salad with the wolf, and when the Snow Queen decided to pack her bags for the Caribbean.

Quarteto Paramythi
Musical and narration performance. March 21. Platanos Café, Kaimakli, Nicosia. 8pm. In Greek. €5. Tel: 99-584374

UK Cypriot teacher Andria Zafirakou has won a million-dollar prize for being the most outstanding teacher in the world after having been chosen from 30,000 entries from 173 countries.

Zafirakou, who was born in London to a Greek Cypriot mother and a Greek father, is an art and textile teacher at Alperton Community school in Brent, one of the poorest areas in the country.

The 39-year-old was named winner of the fourth annual Varkey Foundation Global Teacher award on Sunday at a glittering ceremony in Dubai.

As part of her efforts to make children and their parents feel included she learned basic greetings in many of the 35 languages spoken at the school.

She also visited students’ home and travelled on the bus with them to get to know them better, as well as redesigning the curriculum to make it more relevant to pupils.

“I was shocked. I was completely overwhelmed. I didn’t realise it was me,” she told reporters after the award ceremony.

Asked what she would do with the prize money, she said: “I’m going to be patient, I’m going to reflect, but as you know I think it would be really fantastic if I could think about how the arts could be celebrated even further within our school community.”

Prime Minister Theresa May congratulated Zafirakou during the ceremony which included a performance by singer Jennifer Hudson.

“You have shown enormous dedication and creativity in your work,” the Prime Minister said in her video message.

The terms of the award specify that Zafirakou will be required to keep working as a teacher for at least five years, during which she will receive the money in installments.

She will also be asked to serve as global ambassador for the Varkey Foundation.

A car belonging to the owners of news portal PafosPress was destroyed by fire early on Monday in a suspected arson attack.

The car was parked in the garage of the owners when the blaze broke out at around 3.15am.

It is registered on journalist Marios Ignatiou’s wife, who is also the owner of the portal.

Flammable material has been found at the scene, reports said, though Ignatiou claimed he has no differences with anyone.

Ignatiou put out the fire himself with the help of a neighbour before it spread to the house.

The USS Iwo Jima docked at Limassol port on Monday morning for refuelling and crew R&R, reports said.

Sailing from Haifa in Israel, the Iwo Jima, which has a crew of 2,500 US navy personnel, has been in the Eastern Mediterranean for two weeks to take part in the Juniper Cobra (JC18) military drill with Israel.

According to an announcement by the Amphibious Preparedness Team (ARG), posted on the US-Navy website, while JC18 allows the US and Israel to increase interoperability between its various military forces.

The Juniper Cobra series has been regularly conducted since 2001 with the last iteration, JC16, being held in 2016.

The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) and World Trade Centre Cyprus (WTCCy) have signed a strategic partnership agreement, whereby the latter will organise specialised events for ICPAC in Cyprus.

As part of the strategic agreement, both entities will be co-organising ‘’The CFO conference: Leadership beyond Finance”, on Wednesday May 23^rd 2018 at the Amathus Hotel in Limassol.

The aim of the conference is to create a forum where topical and pertinent issues are presented and discussed to engage the intellect of CFOs.  This will provoke thoughts and ideas on how to leverage their positions within their respective organisations, add significant value to their business and, as a result, assist them in their careers.

Mr. George Hadjineophytou, Chairman of the CFO committee of ICPAC, said: “this is a new era in ICPAC’s offering to its members. This is the first conference co-organised with WTC, aiming at providing training and development of higher standards for accountants on the island and in the region.  The respective expertise of both organisations provides the right ingredients in delivering high quality conferences.”

Mr. Mufid Sukkar, Director and Board Member of WTC Cyprus, said: “the partnership is a strong strategic fit and a solid step in our journey to becoming one of the leading organisers of conferences with substance in the region. We are confident that this partnership agreement with ICPAC will give a strong boost to the annual conference calendar in Cyprus. We are committed to providing ICPAC with all possible support to ensure the excellent delivery of their events for the benefit of its members.”

About The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus

The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) is the competent authority for regulating the accounting and audit profession in Cyprus.  Established in 1961, ICPAC currently has more than 4000 professional accountants as members and another  4000 students and affiliates. Its principal objectives include the provision of an organisational framework for all professional accountants, the support and the promotion of the activities and interests of the accountancy profession, safeguarding the reputation of the profession and adherence to the Code of Ethics by all its members, as well as the continuous professional development and updating of members on issues relevant to accounting, auditing and other business matters.

About World Trade Center Cyprus

World Trade Center Cyprus (WTCCy) has been an active member of the New York World Trade Centres Association since 2004.  The Association membership spans 6 continents, over 90 countries and more than 300 individual city/economic zones.  WTC Cyprus provides business-to-business services in consultancy, professional training, serviced offices, trade missions, as well as conferences, seminars and trade exhibitions.

For more information contact Elena Christopher, Head of Consultancy & Business Development of World Trade Center Cyprus directly at +357 25 588116 or elena@wtchcy.org.

Britain’s foreign minister stepped up London’s criticism of Moscow on Monday over a nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent in England, calling Russian denials of responsibility “increasingly absurd”.

Boris Johnson, who was due to brief fellow European Union ministers in Brussels later on Monday, also won renewed support from the bloc, though diplomats cautioned there was no immediate prospect of fresh economic sanctions on Russia over the attack.

“The Russian denial is increasingly absurd,” Johnson told reporters as he arrived for the regular monthly meeting, which came a day after Vladimir Putin was re-elected for another six-year term as Russia’s president.

“This is a classic Russian strategy … They’re not fooling anybody anymore,” Johnson said.

“There is scarcely a country around the table here in Brussels that has not been affected in recent years by some kind of malign or disruptive Russian behaviour,” he added.

Russia denies any involvement in the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, in what was the first known offensive use of nerve gas in Europe since World War Two.

Moscow announced on Saturday the expulsion of 23 British diplomats in a tit-for-tat response to Britain’s decision last week to expel the same number of Russian diplomats from London.

On Sunday Johnson accused Russia of stockpiling the deadly Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok used to poison the Skripals, a charge Moscow denies. They were found unconscious on a bench in the English city of Salisbury on March 4 and remain in a critical condition in hospital.

On arrival at the Brussels meeting on Monday, Germany’s new foreign minister, Heiko Maas, expressed his support for Britain. All 28 EU foreign ministers are expected to issue a joint statement on the attack later on Monday.

While there is no prospect of further sanctions on Russia being agreed on Monday, British Prime Minister Theresa May will have an opportunity to present her case for any such measures at an EU summit on Thursday, or call for others to expel diplomats.

“We need to put pressure on Russia to take part in a real enquiry about the attack,” Belgium’s Foreign Minister Didier Reynders told reporters.

Apollon moved a step closer to the championship after a convincing 4-2 win over their main rivals Apoel, while in the relegation group Olympiakos will need a miracle if they are to avoid the drop after going down 2-0 to Nea Salamina.

For the second time this season Apollon hit four against champions Apoel, laying to rest any notion that the first demolition was a fluke.
From the very first whistle Apollon stamped their authority on the game and it was obvious that it was only a matter of time before they opened the score.

Alef and Sachetti bossed the midfield while up front the speedy Apollon strikers were having a field day against Apoel’s slow and flat back line.

For yet another game Apollon’s ‘rookie coach’ Sofronis Avgousti outfoxed and outsmarted the more experienced Giorgos Donis. Even when Apoel appeared to be gaining the upper hand early in the second half Avgousti made a couple of changes enabling his team to regain control of the game.

The Limassol side took the lead just after the quarter hour mark when Anton Maglica raced onto Papoulis’ through ball to beat Apoel’s Perez from inside the penalty area.

Man of the match Joao Pedro doubled the score with a sublime free-kick in the 31st minute to give the Limassol side a 2-0 lead.

Apoel’s Mikael Pote pulled a goal back four minutes before the break to reduce the arrears and set up a mouth-watering second half.
Apoel came out all guns blazing and in the first 10 minutes looked the more likely team to get the next goal.

However after weathering the storm Apollon took control of the game yet again and restored their two-goal lead when their captain Fotis Papoulis converted a penalty in the 65th minute after he had been upended by Apoel’s Perez when clean through.

Apoel pushed forward to get back into the game leaving huge gaps at the back and it was no surprise when an unmarked Papoulis scored his second of the game 12 minutes from the end taking away the last shred of lingering doubts on the eventual winner.

Stathis Aloneftis scored for Apoel late on but it was all too little too late against a much superior team on the day.

In the other top group games Omonia suffered their third straight defeat, this time a 3-1 home loss to fourth placed AEK who kept up the pressure on Anorthosis. The Famagusta team came away from the Tsireion stadium with the three points after defeating AEL 2-0.

After just one season in the top flight Olympiakos seem certain of a quick return to the second division as they lost 2-0 to the team just above them, Nea Salamina, meaning they are nine points away from safety.

Nea Salamina were the better side and managed to take the three points thanks to two second-half goals by Carlao.

Alki moved further clear of the relegation zone with a 3-0 win over PAfos FC while in the final game of the round Ermis Aradippou defeated Doxa 2-1 with all three goals coming in a frantic last 15 minutes.

Trust and communication are two components pivotal to the success of a peace process, Irish Defence Minister Paul Kehoe told CNA in an interview published on Monday.

Kehoe’s visit to the island at the weekend to mark St Patrick’s Day coincided with the 20^th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland.

He said the willingness of the political leadership on two sides, involved in a dispute, to overcome obstacles and bring about peace was another element vital to the success of negotiations, adding that all issues that concern the parties engaged in negotiations must be on the negotiating table.

On a more active engagement by Dublin in the Cyprus process, he this would be up to the Irish PM and President Nicos Anastasiades.

On Brexit, he said Dublin does not want to go back to where it was in the past, noting that neither Ireland nor the UK wanted to see a “hard border” and called on all EU members to see Ireland as a “very special case” in this respect.

Asked to assess the current situation in Ireland 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement, he welcomed the commemoration of the anniversary and said that “when you bring people together, the first thing you have to do is communication and the second is trust.” He explained that from a political point of view on both sides of the divide on the island, that trust grew over a matter of years.

“We are lucky today that in the past 20 years we have peace, it is because of the people involved and the political leadership on both sides of the border. It is great for young people in Northern Ireland to witness peace, a lot of young people do not remember the troubles in Northern Ireland,” he said.

Kehoe advised that “trust is number one” when it comes to reaching a solution.

He said naturally there were stumbling blocks, there have been problems, and there would continue to be problems, but “the most important thing is to try to surmount these problems by having a very close relationship and affinity and trust with all parties and all people involved.”

This, he believes, is one of the reasons, “in fact the main reason why we are today where we are.”

Asked to identify the main obstacle in the Cyprus process, preventing an agreement, he said each country has its own individual issues, and the two problems cannot really be compared.

“In Ireland, one of the things we did was to put our issues on the table, each side put their issues and then we negotiated a package going forward. There were different issues, each side had their own problems and issues” and then “we were able to negotiate those issues and meet half way,” he said.

The willingness on both sides that they wanted to get to a point of peace was one of the main reasons why we are where we are in Ireland, he told CNA.

On the role of confidence building measures, the Irish minister had this to say: “trust is important, I believe there was willingness on both sides to get to a point, this is the most important thing at the start of the process. The commitment to be able to sit down and negotiate was also important.”

Commenting on the relationship between Cyprus and Ireland, Kehoe said: “What I would say from a European point of view is that the relationship between Ireland and Cyprus is very important and we want to build on that and that is one of the reasons I am here today.”

During his visit to the island, Kehoe met members of the Irish police force serving with the UN, the UN Chief of Mission, and Cyprus’ Minister for Defence with whom he talked about improving ties and dialogue.

The Cypriot minister, he said, has accepted an invitation to visit Ireland in the very near future.

An elderly woman was killed in a traffic accident in Kokkinotrimithia on Sunday afternoon.

Niki Theotikou Costi, 78, was walking along Archangelos Michael street in the village when a motorbike driven by a 22-year-old man hit and seriously injured her at around 4.35pm.

The injured woman was transferred to Nicosia general hospital where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.

The motorcyclist was also injured and taken to hospital. He was diagnosed with several fractures and kept for treatment. His condition is not listed as serious.

Anyone who has information about the accident is asked to contact Nicosia or Kokkinotrimithia police station or call the citizens’ hotline at 1460.