Author:  George Psyllides THE ELECTION of hardliner Dervis Eroglu as leader of the Turkish Cypriots is an adverse development that will create problems in the Cyprus negotiations, the government said yesterday. “Considering Mr. Eroglu’s longstanding positions against the federation and (in favour of) the foundation of two independent states in Cyprus, there will be serious problems in the negotiations,” government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said. ... Full story

Author:  Charles Charalambous THE ban on air traffic over much of Europe due to the volcanic dust cloud emanating from Iceland has started to affect the island’s economy, with the tourism sector bearing most of the brunt, followed by producers of perishable food due for export. Full story

Author:  Nathan Morley FRUSTRATED tourists stranded in Cyprus are struggling to find alternate routes home, with many left desperate for information on flights into the continent's few airports not closed by a dangerous cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano. It’s estimated that over 6,000 tourists and scheduled passengers are left in limbo on the island, with no immediate sign that the situation will ... Full story

Author:  George Psyllides ARCHBISHOP Chrysostomos II, yesterday became the first Cypriot prelate to visit an important Greek Orthodox seminary in Istanbul that was closed down by the Turkish government 39 years ago. Full story

Author:  Alexia Saoulli A 29-YEAR-OLD Nicosia man was yesterday remanded for eight days in connection with allegedly conspiring with eight other suspects to kill seven men. The man, who was fingered by one of eight suspects already in custody, is thought to have tailed one of the prospective targets in the Famagusta district, CID officer Koumettos Koumettou told the court. He said the suspect ... Full story

Author:  Helen Christophi THE STATE’S stricter policies to combat unemployment paid off last year, with 2,400 fewer work permits being issued to third-country nationals, Labour Minister Sotiroulla Charalambous said yesterday. Full story

Author:  Alexia Saoulli   A 28-YEAR-OLD man was yesterday remanded in custody for six-days on suspicion of trafficking two young girls from Cameroon. The suspect, who is also from Cameroon, was arrested following allegations by Alexandra, 17, and her sister Murielle, 15, that they had been held in his Nicosia home for four months before he kicked them out last Thursday. The girls have ... Full story

Author:  Helen Christophi A VIETNAMESE woman locked in a garage during the hours she was not working was fed only bread and water, immigrant support group KISA has claimed. Full story

Author:  Stefanos Evripidou TURKEY’S EU accession will be the “golden formula” that automatically resolves all the fears and suspicions held by both communities on the island, Turkey’s EU chief negotiator Egemen Bagis said. Full story

Author:  Patrick Dewhurst and Helen Christophi A LACK OF space for industrial rubble in Nicosia is forcing building contractors to dump it in surrounding villages, it emerged yesterday. The storage area at Kotsiatis rubbish dump where rubble from demolition sites such as Nicosia’s old general hospital should be going, is now full, forcing firms to look elsewhere while space is made. The space shortage ... Full story