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End to water cuts? Not in our village

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lania-village

By Evie Andreou
RESIDENTS of a mountain village near Limassol have greeted with wry disbelief President Nicos Anastasiades’ comments this week that water shortages were a thing of the past.

As he made those comments at the official opening of the island’s sixth desalination plant at Vassiliko on Monday evening, the residents of Pano Lania – a village at the foot of the Troodos Mountains – were in the midst of a six-day water cut with the likelihood of many more to come.

“The disruption of water supply is now an outdated phenomenon in the history of Cyprus,” the president said, echoing his agriculture minister’s pledge earlier in the year that the public would not experience any water cuts in 2014 despite Cyprus experiencing the least rainfall since records began in 1901. A mere 204 millimetres of rainfall was recorded for the 2013-14 season.

There are scores of villages across Cyprus which, like Pano Lania, are not connected to the Water Development Department’s main distribution system and rely solely on rainfall to fill up reservoirs, underground springs and boreholes to meet their water needs. For villages like this, the 60,000 cubic metres of water desalination plants like Vassiliko can produce a day is of little help.

Diane Sims, Pano Lania resident for eight years, said that water shortages have always been an issue in the summer but six days without water was too much.

“The water is back on now, but what about the future?” she asked, describing how the village’s population increases in the summer.

“Now, the children are on holiday, and people start to come up to the village in the hot weather, where will that leave us, as they hose down their patios, and more water is consumed by the village?”

Lania’s mukhtar Yiannis Akamas said that Lania gets its water from the Arkolahania project, an underground spring that provides water to 28 villages in the area.

“Other villages however, supplement their water supply with bore holes, but there is not enough water in Lania to drill our own, so we rely solely on Arkolahania and on help from our neighbouring villages that at times offer us their excess water, like Trimiklini,” he said.

Water allocation is calculated according to the population of each community and is distributed by the District Offices to the water tanks of each local community, after which the mukhtar is responsible for distribution to households.

Akamas said that poor rainfall had caused the level of Arkolahania spring to drop by 35-40 per cent while Lania’s water allocation has been cut from 123-130 cubic metres a day to 90-100 cubic metres. He explained that water allocation is proving very stressful for him and his assistant since they have to check how much water the community receives every day and then calculate how to distribute water equally.

“It is our fault for wanting to live in a village instead of living in urban areas,” he said.

In his 21 years of being responsible for water allocation in the Troodos area, Demetris Alayiotou, an officer at the communications and works ministry, said that this year had been the worst.

His concerns were echoed by Nicos Neokleous, senior officer at the Water Development Department who said that this year there is not sufficient water in the aquifers, and communities that rely only on bore holes and reservoirs would have serious problems, especially in August.

“The department is trying to relieve such communities with re-enforcement projects, such as extra bore holes,” he said.
Some areas in Limassol have already been connected to the town’s water distribution system, but funds had run out to connect any more communities, he added.

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Missing burial to be held in north

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THE first missing person from the 1974 Turkish invasion to be laid to rest in the occupied areas will be buried on his village of Ayia Triada on Saturday.

Yiannakis Savvas Liasi’s parents are a part of the enclaved community in Ayia Triada and it was their wish that their son – whose remains were identified using DNA analysis – be buried in the village cemetery.

Liasi’s parents also asked for a simple ceremony, with no military band or speeches.

Liasi’s sister, Toula, who has been living in Holland for the last 34 years and works as an artist and art teacher, said through the burial her family will finally find peace. “It’s a great honour for him, to be buried in his village, despite the fact that there will be no military procession,” she said.

Liasi’s remains were found in a mass grave near the village of Klepini in 2010, along with the remains of four others. He was positively identified on May 22, 2014.

“It has been 40 years since my brother went missing. Now he is back, back where he belongs, where he spent his childhood years, laughing, playing, not having a care in the world. This is the only place where he could rest. The only place where one can find eternal peace is his home.”

Liasi was born on May 5, 1953 and attended the Yialousa high school. In 1974 he was a freshman at the Economics Department at Athens University. The last time his family saw him was August 11, when he told them that he was heading for the village of Ayios Epiktitos.

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Dutch keeper Krul a shootout hero, Argentina await

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Holland's Tim Krul dives to his left to make his second penalty save and send his team into the last four of the World Cup

By Julian Linden

The Netherlands survived a nerve-wracking penalty shootout against Costa Rica on Saturday, with substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul the unlikely hero, to set up a World Cup semi-final against Argentina after the South Americans beat Belgium 1-0.

While the Netherlands and Argentina savoured their progress to the last four, hosts Brazil were still coming to terms with the news that star forward Neymar will miss the rest of the tournament due to a broken vertebra in his back.

The news prompted bookmakers to install Brazil’s semi-final opponents Germany as the new favourites to win the title.

In Salvador, Krul was brought on specifically for the shootout at the Fonte Nova Arena after the teams finished extra time locked at 0-0.

Diving full length to his left, Krul saved from Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana as the Netherlands triumphed 4-3 to end the fairytale run of tiny Costa Rica, who had defied the odds just to make the quarter-finals for the first time.

“What we did on the pitch, what we showed to the world, I think that is crucial,” said Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto.

“We are not a big power but we demonstrated things, we are leaving very proud.”

The Dutch, who have never won the World Cup but reached three finals, including the last one in Johannesburg four years ago, play Argentina in Sao Paulo on Wednesday in one of two classic match-ups between South American and European powerhouses.

Germany will tackle Brazil in Belo Horizonte a day earlier.

Argentina reached the semi-finals for the first time in 24 years thanks to a brilliant eighth-minute goal by striker Gonzalo Higuain at the Brasilia national stadium.

Higuain’s instinctive turn and shot flew into the Belgian net after the ball reached him via a deflection off defender Jan Vertonghen in what proved to be the only goal of a match dominated by watertight defence.

“We gave our all, it’s a World Cup, it doesn’t happen every day,” Higuain said. “Now we have to think about the next game. There are two matches left to achieve this beautiful dream.”

Higuain grazed the crossbar with another powerful strike in the second half while Lionel Messi, who teased and tormented the Belgians with his wizardry, blasted the ball straight at Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois when he broke free in stoppage time.

UNIMPRESSED

Argentina, World Cup champions in 1978 and 1986, spent much of the game defending as a frustrated Belgium struggled to cut out clear chances though Kevin Mirallas and Marouane Fellaini both went close with headers.

“We were not impressed by the Argentines, absolutely not, it’s just an ordinary team,” Belgium coach Marc Wilmots growled.

“Messi is the star player, he never loses the ball but he made a couple of tackles and fouls, the referee is never against him, every time there was a little foul it was almost always in favour of Argentina.”

The heavily-fancied Netherlands dominated their game with Costa Rica but could not find a way to get the ball in the net, squandering a series of chances and being denied by some acrobatic saves from Keylor Navas.

The Dutch hit the woodwork twice in normal time and once more in extra time before the game was sent to a shootout, raising Costa Rican hopes of a victory.

The Central Americans had won their last 16 match with Greece on penalties, scoring five from five, while the Netherlands had lost four of the five shootouts they had contested in major competitions.

Dutch coach Louis van Gaal made the surprising decision to send on the towering Krul for regular keeper Jasper Cillessen and the unorthodox move proved a masterstroke.

“The sub was terrific,” gushed Dutch striker Robin van Persie. “If you see something like that, it deserves credit. We know Tim Krul is great at stopping penalties.”

‘GREAT WARRIOR’

While the Dutch celebrated, the carnival atmosphere that swept over Brazil on Friday following their 2-1 win over Colombia was replaced by a more sombre mood as the samba nation tried to come to terms with Neymar’s exit from a tournament that has exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Brazilian television stations interrupted their normal programming to broadcast live shots of Neymar leaving the team’s training base on a helicopter while Brazil President Dilma Rousseff sent the injured player a letter.

“It broke my heart and the heart of every Brazilian watching the pain on your face on the Castelao field yesterday,” Rousseff wrote.

“But we also saw the immense strength of a great warrior, who will never let himself be held back even when wounded.”

The initial shock over Neymar’s injury quickly turned to fury as the collision with Colombian defender Juan Zuniga was further scrutinised.

Neymar collapsed on the pitch and was carried off the field in tears after Zuniga had come rushing in from behind and kneed the charismatic Brazilian striker in the back.

Zuniga, who was not cautioned over the incident, sent a personal note to Neymar explaining that it was an accident but not everyone agreed with his version of events.

“It was a very violent, unlawful tackle,” said former Brazil striker Ronaldo.

“We all have to fight for football to have more fair play. We have to demand that sanctions be given to violent players. I am in favour of very severe sanctions to those who don’t want to play football and just want to do such violent tackles.

“It was an evil tackle,” he added.

FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer said world soccer’s governing body would evaluate the match after receiving the referee’s report.

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Gunmen kill at least 29 in latest raids on Kenyan coast

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A police officer walks past a blood stains on the ground at the Gamba police station in Gamba, Tana River county, eastern Kenya, 06 July 2014

By Joseph Akwiri

Gunmen killed at least 29 people in raids on two coastal areas of Kenya, the latest in a series of attacks claimed by Somali Islamists who have vowed to drive Kenyan forces out of Somalia, although police cast doubt on their role.

The Interior Ministry said one attack killed nine in the trading town of Hindi in Lamu County, the same district where about 65 people were killed by gunmen last month. Another was further south in the Gamba area, where 20 died.

“They went around shooting at people and villages indiscriminately,” said Abdallah Shahasi, a senior official for the Hindi area, which lies near the old trading port of Lamu and Mpeketoni town, where gunmen launched raids in mid-June.

Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, told Reuters in Mogadishu that the Somali group was behind both attacks on Saturday night. It had also said it was responsible for the June raids in Lamu County, around Mpeketoni.

But President Uhuru Kenyatta dismissed al Shabaab’s claim last month and blamed local politicians, stoking an already fierce row with the opposition, which denied any role.

Regardless of who is blamed this time, Saturday’s raids will hammer an already beleaguered tourist industry that has been hit by a wave of militant attacks and will deepen public frustrations about poor security in Kenya a day before a big opposition rally is planned for the capital.

At a news conference, police deputy inspector general Grace Kaindi said a blackboard, ripped out of a school, was found at a junction near Hindi with scrawling that could implicate the coastal separatist group, the Mombasa Republic Movement (MRC).

“At first we thought it was al Shabaab, but now it is turning out that it is MRC as they have put it there clearly,” she said, adding other scribbled phrases seemed to back opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Slogans included “MRC – You are sleeping,” “Muslims your land is being grabbed”, “Raila is adequate” and “Uhuru down”.

FREEING DETAINEES

The MRC swiftly denied any role. “The government should stop using us as a scapegoat,” Randu Nzai Ruwa, the MRC Secretary General, told Reuters by telephone.

Al Shabaab, which attacked Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi last year killing 67 people, said it had broken into the police station at Gamba and freed suspects from detention cells.

A police source corroborated that Gamba account, saying the numbers for those released was still being checked. Gamba lies in Tana River County, which neighbours Lamu County.

“They killed some of our colleagues and freed Muslim detainees,” the source told Reuters. “Some of those freed were linked to the Mpeketoni attacks two weeks ago.”

Police said attackers hit government offices and burnt a church in Hindi. Lamu County police chief Ephantus Kariuki said victims were shot in the head with their hands bound.

“It seems the attacks are more associated with land disputes and resources,” he told Reuters, speaking of a region where rival ethnic groups have long rowed over land ownership.

In a separate criminal incident in the port city of Mombasa, a Russian woman tourist who was with two companions was killed by a gang, which robbed them, police said.

Militant attacks on the coast have fanned an already tense political atmosphere in Kenya, which has sent troops to join African troops battling al Shabaab in neighbouring Somalia.

Veteran opposition leader Odinga, defeated by Kenyatta in last year’s election, has held rallies over the past month criticising the government over frequent militant attacks.

Kenyatta stepped into an already heated debate by accusing local politicians of being behind strikes on Mpeketoni. Opponents saw his statement as fingering Odinga, who has promised a major rally on Monday in Nairobi.

Religious leaders have urged Kenyans to avoid rallies that could deepen divisions in a nation scarred by political violence in the recent past. Political allegiances in Kenya tend to follow ethnic lines.

The nation is haunted by the 2007 presidential election, when 1,200 died in weeks of ethnic blood-letting – over which Kenyatta still faces trial at The Hague this year for crimes against humanity. However, last year’s vote went off calmly.

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Hamilton wins at home after Rosberg retires

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Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates winning the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Race circuit, in central England July 6, 2014

By Alan Baldwin

Lewis Hamilton won his home British Grand Prix on Sunday and slashed Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg’s Formula One lead to four points after the German retired for the first time this season.

Hamilton, who last won at Silverstone in his 2008 championship year, now has 161 points to Rosberg’s 165 with 10 races remaining and his title hopes fully restored. It was his fifth win of the year.

Finland’s Valtteri Bottas finished second for Williams, 30.1 seconds behind Hamilton, for his second successive podium with Australian Daniel Ricciardo third for Red Bull and a further 16.3 seconds down the road.

The race was red-flagged almost as soon as it started after Ferrari’s 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen had a big crash that left the Finn limping to the medical centre with a sore ankle but otherwise unscathed.

It was the first time a race had been halted on the opening lap since Monaco 2000.

When it re-started behind the safety car after an hour’s delay to fix damaged barriers, Hamilton went from overnight devastation to delight as Rosberg finally suffered some of the misfortune that had plagued his team mate.

The championship and race leader reported a gearbox problem after 20 of the 52 laps, and just after Hamilton’s race engineer had informed the second placed Briton it was “Hammer time’ – time to for a full-on charge.

Nine laps later, Rosberg slowed, pulled over and parked up on the grass as Hamilton sped past.

“It was just slowly but surely,” said Rosberg. “It started on lap 20 and then it just got worse from there. There was nothing I could do or that they could suggest to save the gearbox.

“I was very much in control until then,” added the German. That’s why it’s all the more disappointing.”

Hamilton’s joy as he took the chequered flag was a complete contrast to the despair he felt on Saturday evening after gifting pole to Rosberg.

“England!,” he shouted as he took the chequered flag to give his compatriots something to celebrate after a sporting summer of disappointment. “I couldn’t be happier. I’m sorry about yesterday, but a fantastic job today, as ever.”

Rosberg had secured the top slot on the grid after Hamilton aborted his final lap in the mistaken belief that track conditions would not allow anyone to beat his time.

“He was devastated,” his father Anthony told Sky Sports television before the race. “Last night was tough for him.”

Britain’s Jenson Button, the most experienced driver in the race who has never finished on his home podium, chased Ricciardo home to take fourth for McLaren on an emotional afternoon for the 2009 champion.

The race was the first at Silverstone for Button, who started third on the grid, since the death of his father John in January.

Red Bull’s quadruple champion Sebastian Vettel finished fifth after a lively battle with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who took sixth after originally starting 16th and then being hit with a stop/go penalty for overshooting his mark on the grid.

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Djokovic wins epic tussle with Federer to claim Wimbledon title

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Novak Djokovic drops to his knees after defeating Roger Federer in a five set thriller

By Toby Davis

Novak Djokovic claimed a second Wimbledon title after coming out on top in an extraordinary battle of wills against seven-times winner Roger Federer, eventually triumphing 6-7(7) 6-4 7-6(4) 5-7 6-4 in a gripping encounter on Sunday.

The Serb, who has now won seven grand slam titles, denied Federer the opportunity to win a record eighth All England Club trophy but was pushed all the way by the Swiss who faced a match point in the fourth set before forcing a decider.

Djokovic eventually wrapped up the contest that will go down as one of the greatest Wimbledon finals in three hours and 56 minutes, falling to the ground in celebration before climbing to the players’ box to greet his camp with an emotional embrace.

“I don’t know how I managed to do it,” said a teary Djokovic, who had lost his last three grand slam finals.

“I want to dedicate this win to a few people, first of all to my future wife and our future baby. I am going to become a father soon and I am still preparing for that.

“To my family and my team for sacrifice a lot of their lives to allow me to live the dream and to my first coach Jelena Gencic, who taught me everything about playing tennis and how to behave. Unfortunately she passed away last year but this is for her.”

Federer was magnanimous in defeat and even slightly disbelieving of his own resolve having forced a decider after looking down and out at 5-2 down in the fourth set.

“It was a great final. I can’t believe I made it to five, it wasn’t looking good for a while,” he said.

“Going into a match with Novak, you know it’s going to be tough. I can only say congratulations to him. It was an amazing match and an amazing tournament. It’s well-deserved.”

The Djokovic serve had seemed impregnable in the early games of the match. He held three times for the loss of a single point, while he was also able to apply gentle pressure on his opponent with some stinging returns.

The Stefan Edberg effect on Federer’s game seemed to be in evidence as the Swiss made frequent forays to the net, with limited success, but both players held their nerve to take it to the tiebreak.

Federer, chasing a record eighth title, raced into an early 3-0 lead but was then pegged back and saved two set points before coming out on 9-7 when Djokovic netted a backhand after 51 minutes of scintillating play.

If Djokovic was simmering with a sense of injustice at losing a set in which he lost only four points on his first serve, he hid it well and came out energised in the second.

Federer was forced to save two break points in his opening service game and another in his next, but Djokovic made no mistake at the fourth time of asking, claiming the first break of the match for a 2-1 lead with a searing backhand pass.

ANKLE PROBLEM

The Serb called the trainer on court to treat an ankle injury, but stayed largely untroubled until he tried to serve out the second set at 5-4.

At 30-30, the Serb hit a forehand wide to hand Federer his first break point of the match, but swiftly regained his concentration to bring up set point with an ace and saw it out with a forehand smash.

In the third set both players flexed their serving muscles with the ace count mounting and neither facing a break point until the 11th game when Djokovic began to turn the screw once more.

The Serb ground out two break points but Federer again dug in, saving both with some precision serving to hold after a series of deuces.

It proved a brief reprieve however, as Djokovic came out firing in the tiebreak, bringing up a set point at 6-4 with a big forehand winner and getting over the line when Federer hit a backhand slice wide.

Djokovic looked to have a hand on the trophy when he pumped his clenched fist in celebration having broken in the fourth game of the fourth set for a 3-1 lead.

It proved to be the start of an extraordinary series of games, however, where both players took in turns to take apart the other’s serve.

Federer broke straight back before again handing the momentum to the Serb, who opened a 5-2 lead and served for the match at 5-3.

The Centre Court crowd were willing Federer to find a route back into the clash and he duly obliged, breaking again to reduce the deficit to 5-4 before again finding himself under pressure to survive.

He netted a backhand to give Djokovic a matchpoint but served his way out of trouble and then set about putting the pressure back on Djokovic, breaking again and holding as Centre Court rose in a chorus of “Roger, Roger”.

Weary legs did not diminish the quality of tennis on show in the fifth set as both players tussled for an advantage in the early evening sunshine.

Federer saved three break points in the eighth game as Djokovic and his famed resolve sought to take charge once more. The 32-year-old’s seeping reserves could not hold out for long.

Serving to stay in the match at 4-5, Federer fell to 15-30, and then sent a forehand long to bring up another match point.

This time, there was no stopping the Serb as Federer netted a backhand to leave Djokovic to accept the acclaim of an emphatically appreciative crowd.

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Six Jewish suspects arrested over death of Palestinian teenager

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Israeli police stand guard outside the Magistrate's Court in Petah Tikva, Israel, 06 July 2014. Israeli security forces have made arrests in connection with last week's slaying of a Palestinian teenager abducted from East Jerusalem

By Jeffrey Heller

Israel has arrested six Jewish suspects in the abduction and killing of a Palestinian teenager whose death sparked violent protests in Jerusalem and Israeli Arab towns, a security source said on Sunday.

With tensions high along the Gaza border, Israel said its aircraft attacked 10 sites in the Palestinian enclave in response to persistent rocket strikes on southern Israeli towns.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled that broader Israeli action was not imminent.

The burning-alive of 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khudair, and the earlier murders of three kidnapped Israeli teenagers, have driven relations between Palestinians and Israelis to their lowest point since U.S.-backed peace talks broke down in April.

The security source gave no details about the suspects arrested in the investigation into the abduction and killing of Abu Khudair, other than to say they were Jewish and that police saw “nationalist motives” in the case.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said a gag order had been imposed on most details of the case, commenting only that police had “arrested a number of Jewish suspects who carried out the killing.”

Israel’s Shin Bet security agency said the suspects were being questioned at one of its installations.

Abu Khudair’s burnt body was discovered in a Jerusalem forest on Wednesday. Palestinians believe he was the victim of far-right Jews avenging the kidnap-killing of the three Israeli teenagers who disappeared while hitchhiking in the occupied West Bank on June 12, and whose bodies were found last Monday.

Israel blames the deaths of Naftali Fraenkel and Gil-Ad Shaer, both 16, and 19-year-old Eyal Yifrah, on Hamas. The Gaza flare-up began in mid-June during Israel’s search for the teens in the West Bank and its arrests of Hamas members.

Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the killings.

In remarks to his cabinet on Sunday, Netanyahu pledged “to do whatever is necessary” to restore quiet to southern Israeli communities that have come under rocket attack from the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is the dominant force.

But he also cautioned against any rush toward wider confrontation with the group, whose arsenal includes long-range rockets that can reach Israel’s heartland and its business capital, Tel Aviv.

“Experience has shown that during moments like these, one must act in a level-headed and responsible manner and not hastily,” Netanyahu told his cabinet, in broadcast remarks.

Israel beefed up ground forces along the Gaza frontier on Thursday, a deployment widely seen as sending a message to Palestinian militant groups that an invasion was an option if rocket fire did not stop.

Egypt, a neighbouring country, has been trying to mediate a truce. But in a move that could harden militants’ resolve to confront Israel, the Israeli military said it cut the fishing zone for Palestinian fishing boats off Gaza from six to three nautical miles.

ISRAEL RELEASES PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN

East Jerusalem and other flashpoint Arab communities were quiet on Sunday after protesters angered by Abu Khudair’s death clashed with police late on Saturday, a police spokesman said.

Palestinian-American Tariq Khdeir, 15, a cousin of the slain Palestinian teenager, was arrested by Israeli border policemen, who his family said beat him severely, during a protest on Thursday in East Jerusalem.

An Israeli court on Sunday ordered Khdeir released from jail and placed under house arrest for nine days. His mother said the family planned to return to Tampa, Florida on July 16.

The United States has called for an investigation, and Israel’s Justice Ministry said the police internal affairs office was looking into the incident.

In Ramallah, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he sent a message to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urging the formation of an international investigation committee into “terror crimes conducted against our people, including the burning alive of Mohammed Abu Khudair”.

An autopsy attended by a Palestinian pathologist showed soot in the teenager’s lungs, indicating he was still alive when he was set on fire, the Palestinian attorney general said.

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British government announces historical child abuse inquiry (Update 3)

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No stone unturned: David Cameron

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT has ordered a wide-ranging inquiry into historical child sex allegations stretching over several decades, Home Secretary Theresa May said on Monday.
A separate review will also be held into the handling of allegations of child abuse by politicians.
“In recent years we have seen appalling cases of organised and persistent child sex abuse,” May told parliament.
“The government will establish an independent inquiry panel of experts in the law and child protection to consider whether public bodies and other non-state institutions have taken seriously their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse.”
The broad inquiry, the chair of which is still to be appointed, will look into allegations of child abuse across organisations including the health service, political parties, the Church and the BBC.
May said that given the scope of the inquiry it was unlikely to report back before a national election in May next year but would update parliament on its progress before the vote.
Peter Wanless, the Chief Executive of anti child cruelty charity the NSPCC, has been appointed to hold a review of a 2013 investigation carried out by the interior ministry into the handling of allegations of abuse by politicians.
Wanless will also look at how police and prosecutors handled information handed to them at the time, May said.
Claims that politicians may have sexually abused children in the 1980s in a conspiracy by members of the establishment who used their power to cover up the crimes have jarred the current political elite just as Britain is grappling with revelations that some national celebrities had sexually abused children for decades.
“We are going to leave no stone unturned to find out the truth about what happened,” Prime Minister David Cameron told reporters earlier in the day.
“Three things need to happen: Robust inquiries that get to truth; police investigations that pursue the guilty and find out what has happened; and proper lessons learned so we make sure these things cannot happen again,” he said.
No evidence has yet been published to support the claims that there was a paedophile conspiracy deep inside the political elite.
But the unmasking of late BBC television presenter Jimmy Savile as one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders has forced a wider questioning about how paedophiles in positions of power could sow such damage while evading detection for so long.
Once feted as a national treasure, Savile is now known to have used his fame to get unsupervised access to his victims, raping and abusing girls, boys, men, women and even dead bodies.
Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris, a household name in his native Australia and adopted home Britain, was jailed for almost six years last Friday on 12 counts of assaulting four girls, some as young as seven or eight, between 1968 and 1986.
Fears that claims of abuse by politicians were not properly investigated at the time were stoked when one of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted advisers admitted there may well have been a cover-up of child abuse in the 1980s.
“At that time I think most people would have thought that the Establishment, the system, was to be protected,” said Norman Tebbit, a former Conservative minister.
“And if a few things had gone wrong here and there that it was more important to protect the system than to delve too far,” he said. “That view was wrong.
Such a blunt assessment of the priorities of an earlier Britain was explosive, prompting front-page headlines about “V.I.P. Paedos” in local print media and leading national television news bulletins.
Abuse claims have sullied the reputations of some of the world’s most venerated institutions: Pope Francis on Monday told victims of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clerics that the church should “weep and make reparation” for crimes.
In Britain, local media have alleged that a group of British politicians and others in positions of authority may have used their position to abuse children in state care during the 1980s. It was not possible to independently evaluate those claims.
British police in 2013 began an investigation known as Operation Fernbridge into allegations of child abuse in the early 1980s at the Elm Guest House in London.
Commenting on the broader allegations, Cameron’s spokesman said there were lessons to be learnt about how public institutions have fulfilled their duty of care to young people.
But for campaigners working with the victims of child abuse, the domestic political storm shows Britain may be finally preparing to face some of the demons from its past.
“People just didn’t want to talk about it in the past,” Jon Bird, a 56-year-old who works for the National Association of People Abused in Childhood charity, said.
“You hope they are going to take it seriously and give it the resources and powers to actually get to the bottom of it,” said Bird, who was raped when he was 4 years old. “So far it is just words.”

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Real Madrid legend Di Stefano dies

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Argentina-born Alberto Di Stefano, who helped turn Real Madrid into a leading side in the 1950s, is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time

By Sarah White

Former Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano, 88, has died in a Madrid hospital two days after suffering a heart attack, the club said on Monday.
Argentina-born Di Stefano, who helped turn Real into one of the world’s leading teams in the 1950s and is considered one of the finest footballers of all time, was taken to the intensive care unit of the Gregorio Maranon hospital over the weekend.

He had suffered an 18-minute respiratory arrest, the emergency services said on Saturday.
Real said Di Stefano died at the Gregorio Maranon at 1515 GMT on Monday.
The player known as ‘La Saeta Rubia’ (Blond Arrow) joined Real in 1953 and became a naturalised Spaniard three years later.

Di Stefano featured in attack when the club won five successive European Cups between 1956-60 and he scored in each of the finals.
He had health problems in recent years and was fitted with a pacemaker in 2005 after heart surgery.

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Powerful quake rocks Guatemala, Mexico, killing at least 4 people

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A damaged house is pictured in the San Marcos region, in the northwest of Guatemala, in this July 7, 2014 handout picture by Guatemala's municipal fire department

By Mike McDonald

A strong earthquake shook the Guatemalan border with Mexico on Monday, killing at least four people, damaging dozens of buildings and triggering landslides.

The 6.9 magnitude quake struck near the frontier, and much of the damage was reported in the Guatemalan border region of San Marcos, where it downed power lines, opened cracks in buildings and triggered landslides which blocked roads.

In November 2012, San Marcos suffered a 7.4 magnitude quake that quake killed 48 people.

Asked to confirm reports the latest quake had claimed three lives in Guatemala, Alejandro Maldonado, director of Guatemalan emergency authority CONRED, said: “Yes, unfortunately.”

Emergency services in the Mexican border state of Chiapas said via Twitter that a man died in the town of Huixtla after a wall collapsed on him.

Luis Rivera, governor of the San Marcos region, said at least 48 homes suffered significant damage in the local town of La Reforma, whose municipal cemetery was also destroyed.

“This quake was pretty strong. Families in the area are really scared because of the whole experience of November 2012. There are houses destroyed,” he said.

Raul Hernandez, a Guatemalan fire services spokesman, said two deaths were reported in San Rafael Pie de la Cuesta in San Marcos. He also said the quake had damaged 30 houses.

Twelve people are in hospital receiving treatment and 50 houses were evacuated in the region, which suffered major disruptions to communication, added Sergio Vasquez, another spokesman for fire services.

“The whole San Marcos region is pretty affected,” he said.

The quake was centered 14 miles (22 km) southwest of the city of Tapachula in Chiapas at a depth of about 37 miles (60 km) said the U.S. Geological Survey, which had originally reported the quake at a magnitude of 7.1.

The quake was also felt in El Salvador.

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Kittel the leader of the pack on streets of London

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Rising star: Germany's Marcel Kittel produced another show of raw power to win his second stage of this year's Tour de France

By Martyn Herman

Germany’s Marcel Kittel produced another show of raw power to win his second stage of this year’s Tour de France on Monday, storming down The Mall for a comfortable victory.
With his Giant-Shimano team setting a searing pace at the front of the peloton as it snaked around some of London’s most well-known landmarks, Kittel burst to the line at the end of the 155-km third stage, a flat run from Cambridge.

Slovakia’s Peter Sagan was second with Australian Mark Renshaw, Omega Pharma-Quick Step’s main sprinter in the absence of Mark Cavendish who crashed out on Saturday, third.
While Kittel tightened his early grip on the sprinters’ green jersey, Italian Vincenzo Nibali will wear the yellow one as the race leaves Britain for France after one of the most memorable starts in its history.

Nibali, one of the biggest threats to Britain’s reigning champion Chris Froome, finished comfortably in the pack to retain his two-second lead.
Despite losing nearly 20 minutes in the overall standings during a brutal day of climbing in Yorkshire on Sunday, Kittel crosses the Channel with fond memories of Britain, having also won a bunch sprint in Harrogate on Saturday.

With the chimes of Big Ben ringing out and thousands of people watching, many of them office workers enjoying extended lunch breaks, Kittel’s performance just around the corner from Buckingham Palace was impeccable.

“My job was 500 metres long but the biggest fight was already over,” the 26-year-old, who took his total of Tour stage wins to six, said of the work of his team mates.
“Because of the rain, everybody was scared. But I didn’t let myself be disturbed and it’s a great day for us.”

After two dramatic days in the spectacular scenery of Yorkshire, Monday’s stage was a chance for the peloton to take stock and conserve some energy as the race meandered around the Essex countryside in pleasant sunshine.
There were still incidents, though, and 2010 winner Andy Schleck crashed on the approaches to the city.

“I was very unlucky, it was not even raining,” the Luxembourg rider, who is two minutes 24 seconds behind the race leader, said. “One guy moved from the left to the right and I could not really avoid him and went straight down at high speed.
“I lost a bit of skin on the road. On the right side, on the arm, the hip and the ribs. I guess it was my own fault.”

Frenchman Jean-Marc Bideau, who was in the sole breakaway with Czech Jan Barta, won the day’s intermediate sprint.
They were both reeled in as the race reached central London.
The Tour moves into France on Tuesday with a 163.5-km stage from Le Touquet to Lille.

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€18m for youth and female entrepreneurship

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YOUTH and female entrepreneurship will be supported by grants worth €18m between 2014 and 2020, Energy minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said on Monday.

Inagurating the fourth Support Scheme of Youth Entrepreneurship, Lakkotrypis said that the programme has proven to be one of the most successful funding schemes where many young people have expressed interest.

“The scheme has also contributed to the creation of hundreds of new businesses and a large number of jobs,” he said.

The scheme is part of the “Sustainable Development and Competitiveness” programme for 2007-2013 and is co-funded by the EU and the Cyprus government.

During the scheme’s previous period, 850 youths aged 20 to 39 benefited from a total  sum of €28m.

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Army call-up this week

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MORE than 4,000 new army recruits are expected to check into boot camps in Larnaca and Paphos throughout this week, according to National Guard Lieutenant colonel Michalis Perdios.

The new recruits, fresh out of state and private high schools, will undergo basic training at the recruitment centres for about three weeks and will be sworn in on August 1.

After a 48-hour leave on July 18 they will be transferred to their new units throughout the island to serve the rest of their 24-month service.

Perdios said that new recruits can learn everything about their army service at www.army.gov.cy , but they will also be given the same information upon their arrival at their designated boot camps.

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CY says Stansted will be ‘better and cheaper’

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CYPRUS Airways (CY) will be starting daily flights to London’s Stansted airport on September 14, it was announced on Monday.

The airline said it will cost passengers less to fly to the new destination while flights will be conducted at better hours.

The flight will depart Larnaca airport at 8.45am and arrive at Stansted at 11.45am local time.

Departure is scheduled for 12.45pm local time and the flight returns to Larnaca at 7.15pm.

The move follows the sale of CY’s final timeslot at London’s Heathrow airport as part of the airline’s effort to survive.

The national carrier faces bankruptcy if the European Commission does not approve its restructuring plan, a decision expected in the autumn.

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Malas says probe into inflated drug prices is politically motivated

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AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou with former AKEL presidential candidate, Stavros Malas

FORMER health Minister Stavros Malas has published an open letter to President Nicos Anastasiades, suggesting that a probe blaming him for inflated drug prices was politically motivated.

Malas claimed that the probe’s conclusion – which he noted wasn’t mandated – was “absurd and undocumented.”

Malas was referring to an investigation initiated by the current Health minister Philippos Patsalis as a result of the Auditor general’s reports that concluded millions had been squandered in recent years because the drugs-pricing committee had falsely used Greece as the “least expensive” country in its price benchmarking, at a time when prices in Greece were quite expensive.

Malas, along with fellow former health Minister Christos Patsalides, were both considered responsible for ineffectively monitoring drug prices.

Stavros Malas, who was also a presidential candidate for the communist AKEL party, denies the charges against him and claimed that during his time at the ministry’s helm he initiated a procedure to re-examine drugs prices, which resulted in the downward revision of prices.

The probe’s findings will be discussed by the council of ministers on Tuesday.

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Parents and officials up in arms over school’s closure

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By Bejay Browne

PARENTS prevented the commencement of a merger of two Paphos schools on Monday, angered by the ministry of education’s decision last week to close the old Nikolaideio gymnasium and merge it with their school, despite other better alternatives being proposed.

Parents of students attending Kykkos lyceum reacted strongly to the latest move and occupied the building, blocking the entrance to the school.

Andreas Maratheftis, president of the association of Kykkos school parents, told the Cyprus Mail that they were left feeling angry and frustrated over the latest decision and that proposed alternatives hadn’t been seriously considered.

“We closed the school today to avoid any steps being taken. This is a bad decision and we vehemently oppose it,” he said.

Paphos mayor Savvas Vergas, parents, pupils and other officials have been fighting to keep a school in the centre of the town.

Last week, the ministry announced the Nikolaideio gymnasium’s closure and its merger with Kykkos lyceum was the best solution to the current situation. Other alternatives had been closely examined, but weren’t deemed as suitable, it said. It added that the decision was based purely on what was best for the children.

But Maria Zavrou, the head of the Paphos schools’ committee, said they and other relevant bodies remained firm: “We believe this move is a bad choice for Paphos as we need a school to remain in the centre of the town. This decision is not acceptable.”

She noted that all of the concerned parties would push for the ministry to rethink its decision.

Prior to the decision, mayor Vergas had said that parents and pupils had proposed  to the ministry that the Nikolaideio leave the current building as it was dangerous, a new building to house the Nikolaideio should be built in the centre of Paphos and that the Kykkos lyceum should remain open.

But an official statement from the ministry said that as of the next academic year (2014-2015) pupils at the stricken gymnasium would be relocated to the Kykkos lyceum for the next two years.

Vergas told the Mail: “I believe that the ministry is moving too fast and there is a need to study further suggestions which would enable us to keep both open as separate schools.”

The mayor said he may suggest that as the old police station in the centre of the town would soon be defunct – there is a new one which is already operational – parts of this building, which is close to the Nikolaideio school, could be used for classrooms until a more permanent solution was found.

“I may ask that this suggestion be reconsidered,” he said.

The situation will be brought before a parliamentary meeting on Tuesday, which Vergas says he hopes the minister will attend.

The fate of the Nikolaideio gymnasium has hung in the balance for over a decade. In 2004, the ministry of education suggested that the school merge with Kykkos lyceum, an idea which was vehemently opposed by parents and teachers.

Due to strong arguments against the proposal the subject was put on hold.

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So near, and yet so far – Leaders disagree over CBMs

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Προστατευόμενη από τα Ηνωμένα Έθνη

By Constantinos Psillides

THE island’s two community leaders appear to be nowhere near an agreement on the Cyprus problem, since they failed to agree on confidence building measures (CBMs) proposed by both sides during Monday’s meeting in the UN protected zone in the area of the old Nicosia airport.

Both sides came to the meeting with a number of suggestions on CBMs, but failed to agree on any of them, leaving the final decision for their next meeting on July 24.

CBMs proposed by the Turkish Cypriot side were rejected because they were aimed at upgrading the break-away state, according to CyBC, while the Turkish Cypriot side objected to returning Varosha, which was top of the Greek Cypriot’s side list.

In statements he made to the press upon returning, the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu added that his side wanted to open a new crossing point at Lefka, in the northeast of the island.

Failure to negotiate wasn’t just limited to CBMs.

Eroglu submitted a five-point roadmap in the negotiations, explaining that it will lead to a result and that the Turkish Cypriot side wanted to conclude the negotiations successfully, which will be put to a referendum so that a new state is created the next day.

The road map was rejected by the Greek Cypriot side. CyBC cited an unnamed diplomatic source claiming that President Nicos Anastasiades told Eroglu that the Cyprus problem can be solved with honest intent to reach a result and not timetables. CyBC further reported that Eroglu told Anastasiades that a non-solution suits him, only to have the president respond that he didn’t build his political career on the Cyprus problem.

The two leaders also failed to reach an agreement on a proposal put forward by Anastastiades, asking for a document to be drafted outlining the issues where both sides agree, where they disagree and where they are close to an agreement.

CyBC reported that Eroglu said that the issues agreed upon have already been written down, to which Anastasiades responded by presenting a 19-point document detailing how Eroglu’s position has shifted in some key elements, including citizenship, immigration, the public sector and the state’s foreign relations.

The two negotiators, Andreas Mavroyiannis and Kudret Ozersay were tasked with discussing the proposals put forth by both sides, along with the CBMs lists.

Τhe leaders did agree, however, to jointly visit the anthropological laboratory of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) on July 24, before their meeting on the same day, according to the United Nations.

This was announced by UNSG Special representative Lisa Buttenheim, after Monday’s meeting in the UN protected zone near the old Nicosia airport.

The visit had been agreed last Friday without setting a date.

Noting the leaders met “in a positive and friendly atmosphere”, Buttenheim said that “the leaders instructed their negotiators to conduct an additional special meeting on the issue of confidence building measures, and also on the methodology and the way forward, based on the proposals submitted by both sides, with a view to preparing suggestions for the next leaders meeting.”

The CMP is a bi-communal body established in 1981 by the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities with the participation of the United Nations.

Following the establishment of an agreed list of missing persons, the CMP’s objective is to recover, identify, and return to their families, the remains of 2001 persons — 502 Turkish Cypriots and 1,493 Greek Cypriots — who went missing during inter-communal strife in the 1960s and the 1974 Turkish invasion.

The CMP employs a bi-communal forensic team of more than 60 Cypriot archaeologists, anthropologists and geneticists, who conduct excavations throughout the island and anthropological and genetic analyses of remains at the CMP anthropological laboratory.

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Executive in World Cup ticket scalping probe released

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ray

By Brian Homewood

Ray Whelan, the chief executive of a hospitality firm arrested in connection with an investigation into VIP ticket scalping at the World Cup, was released on Tuesday after spending the night in custody.

His company, MATCH, said the Englishman was released in Rio de Janeiro and that he will assist police with further enquiries.

“MATCH have complete faith that the facts will establish that he has not violated any laws,” it said in a statement, adding that Whelan would continue with his work at the World Cup.

“MATCH will continue to fully support all police investigations, which we firmly believe will fully exonerate Ray.”

Whelan was arrested at Rio’s beachfront Copacabana Palace hotel as a result of Operation Jules Rimet in which 12 people have been arrested following investigations into the illegal resale of tickets for the tournament.

The investigation has further sullied the reputation of world soccer’s governing body FIFA, which was already facing allegations of bribery surrounding Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

Rio de Janeiro police said in a statement that Whelan will expected to appear for further questioning at a date to be arranged.

He has been charged under the Brazilian Supporters’ Statute with “supplying or facilitating the distribution of tickets for a price that is superior to the one printed on the ticket.”

MATCH is the main provider of hospitality packages for the World Cup and paid $240 million for the exclusive rights to sell corporate hospitality at the 2010 World Cup and this one.

It has a contract with FIFA until the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

MATCH has been appointed by FIFA to provide ticketing, accommodation and event information technology at the World Cup.

“FIFA continues to fully co-operate with the local authorities and will provide any details requested to insist with this ongoing investigation,” FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer said, reading from a statement.

“FIFA wants to reiterate as mentioned on various occasions that our firm stands against any form of violation of criminal law and is fully supporting the security authorities in our joint efforts to clamp down on any unauthorised ticket sales.

“We cannot comment further on this ongoing investigation regarding operation Jules Rimet which is led by the local authorities.”

Philippe Blatter, the nephew of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, is the president of Infront, a company which has a five percent stake in MATCH Hospitality, one of the two arms of MATCH.

“Infront Sports & Media (Infront) or any of its employees are not involved at all with MATCH Services, service provider for accommodation, IT and ticketing at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, and/or with Byrom PLC,” Infront said in a statement.

“Infront is a percent minority shareholder of MATCH Hospitality, the rights holder for the official Hospitality Programme at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. Infront’s President & CEO Philippe Blatter does not hold any position with MATCH Hospitality.

“Infront is fully supporting MATCH Hospitality in collaborating with the local authorities investigating the matter.”

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Footballer’s son dies of malaria

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A seven-year-old boy, the son of footballer from the Ivory Coast who plays for a local team has died from malaria at the Makarios hospital, where he had been transferred from a private clinic due to his deteriorating condition.
The malaria caused acute fever and prompted the boy’s admission to a private clinic on Saturday.
But after he deteriorated he was transferred to the Makarios hospital, where he dies at around 4am on Tuesday.
The child is the son of Gaoussou Fofana who plays for Omonia, which expressed its “most sincere condolences” and offered its full support.
The Pancyprian Footballers’ Union also issued statements of support, raising questions and demanding answers.
“There really are no words in instances like this, when innocent souls leave us so prematurely,” the statement said. “The little angel lost his life early today at Makarios hospital, and initial information suggests that his loss was due to malaria. As the official footballers’ body in Cyprus, and as an organised group seeking to improve our society, we demand clarification on the circumstances under which the seven-year-old angel lost his life.
“Had there been a timely diagnosis? And if so, had the boy been treated appropriately?”
The union pointed out that their questions did not imply blame, but merely sought answers so that “we can become wiser as a society.”
“We expect the competent authorities to explain what has happened,” the statement concluded.
An array of organised football-related groups issued statements of support, including the Cyprus Football Association, the Cypriot football coaches’ association, the Cypriot referees’ association, and football clubs Anorthosis, APOEL, AEL, Apollon, AEK, Doxa Katokopias, Ermis Aradippou and Othellos Athienou. All extended condolences to Fofana and his family, wishing them courage and strength during this difficult time.
Fofana, 30, moved to Cyprus in 2012 when he was signed by minnows Doxa Katokopias but his performances soon landed him a much better contract with traditional title contenders Anorthosis a year later. After a disastrous season for the club in which he was one of the few survivors, Fofana was signed by Omonia this summer.
In response to the death, the health ministry said malaria was not directly transmitted from human to human and cases usually concern people who contracted the disease abroad.

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Plumber crushed by water tank

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A 52-year-old British plumber, David Hopkins, was the victim of a fatal labour accident in Yermasoyia, Limassol on Tuesday, when he was crushed by a water tank he had been working on.
According to initial reports, shortly after 2pm Hopkins had been attempting to fix a water tank on the roof of a five-storey building, when the structure the tank was resting on collapsed.
The collapse caused the man to fall off the roof onto the porch of a flat on the first floor, where he was crushed by the falling tank and killed instantly.
Members of the police and the fire brigade, as well as an ambulance and members of the Labour Inspection department rushed to the scene.
Initial investigation suggested poor safety measures taken by the victim.

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