Front Page Headlines
The lieutenant admitted to the mother-daughter murders
Rapid developments late yesterday on the Mitsero case. The 35-year-old National Guard officer broke down during interrogation. (His victim) Marry brought her daughter along on his insistence.
- Euro-elections: The undecided are key
- Roaming: There is no legal obstacle
Electricity has now been unified
The electricity grid of the free and occupied areas now operates as one, with full integration. Electricity is being absorbed automatically depending on needs or faults.
- The dispute on the US (arms ) embargo to be discussed in parliament
- ‘Leonidas’ of Kyrenia: “Go to your mothers so that they don’t dress in black” (The story of Nicolaos Katoundas, a GC military officer who fought and died in Kyrenia in 1974)
He showed the burial site of the six-year-old
His (dating site) profile ‘Orestis APOEL’ implicated the 35-year-old. Developments rapidly unfolded yesterday on the murder of 38-year-old Mary Rose and the disappearance of her six-year-old daughter Sierra. The 35-year-old suspect seems to have broken his silence and pointed out last night an area in the Nicosia district where the six-year-old Sierra is buried. Police will carry out a search today.
- DISY has put the trilateral partnerships above international law
Police close in on mine killer
Search for the missing child moved to a Nicosia location last night after new arrests.
Humiliation!
The things parties do for a few votes… MPs admitted to populism and that they are responsible for the indignation toward them by society. Havoc yesterday in parliament over… sudden plans and decisions tabled as urgent, which had been discussed in the past or were illegal. (DIKO MP) Angelos Votsis could not take it: “We are being humiliated, that is why I am leaving,” he said and left.
- President: Through his report, the UN Secretary-General gives still hope
- Defence Minister: Celiac disease is one thing, insulin another – The defence minister explains why sufferers from insulin resistance are not exempt from service in the National Guard as is the case for sufferers from celiac disease.
Main News
Full interconnectivity of electricity grids between two sides achieved
Phileleftheros
CBMs
OVERVIEW
The electricity grids of the two sides have, since the end of March, been permanently connected, 24 hours per day year-round.
According to the paper, in the case of faults on either side of the divide, the grid sends automatically electricity from the south to the north and vice versa, depending on which side needs it.
Following the agreement to complete the electricity grid connection between the two leaders on February 26, each side set up protocols and following a meeting of groups of technicians from both sides, a final agreement was reached on all technical aspects on March 13, the paper said citing sources.
Meters have been installed at the connection points to offset electricity passing from one side to other. There will be no invoices and payments, but an offsetting of the megawatts one network gives to the other.
The interconnection is done automatically, without any consultations and the need to turn on switches, as was the case during the major malfunction at the island’s main power station at Vassilikos that caused a loss of 55 per cent of electricity production.
This was the first test of the system which was a successful one, the paper said.
Citing sources, the daily reported that, in parallel with power cuts in the south last Tuesday to avoid a black out, there was also a power cut in some areas in the north so that more than 100 kilowatts could be transferred from the occupied to the free areas. A major power cut in the occupied areas could similarly affect, albeit to a lesser degree the free areas.
The only difference, which does not affect the outcome, is that the GC side sees this as a ‘reconnection’ of the electricity authority’s (EAC) network as it was before 1974, while the TCs described it as an ‘interconnection’ of the two networks, Phileleftheros reports.
As part of the agreement, the Transmission System Operator has the capacity to interfere with network segments to maintain stringent network security standards such as stability of sub-frequency in various parts of the unified network.
Telecoms companies reassured they won’t get in trouble over mobile interconnectivity
Politis
CBMs
OVERVIEW
President Nicos Anastasiades and his advisors reassured telecommunications providers that there is no legal obstacle preventing the interconnection of mobile telephony between the two sides.
During a meeting that took place at the Presidential Palace on Friday, Anastasiades stressed his determination to see the confidence-building measure agreed with TC leader Mustafa Akinci implemented, reported the paper.
Management members of the telecommunications authority (CyTA) and MTN expressed their wish to proceed with the interconnection but also concerns to Anastasiades over legal matters that could arise and which could put them in trouble due to the law forbidding cooperation of licensed telecommunications providers with non-licensed ones.
The state legal services said that, based on a 2015 ruling, there are no legal issues if the proposed procedure, agreement of each side with a company abroad is implemented.
But even if a private legal case arises against the two companies, the state legal service gave reassurances that it will have to give its consent for the procedure to proceed.
The Presidential Palace expects that after the reassurances given the companies will have no reason not to carry on with signing the agreement with the Swiss company abroad. It is expected that the companies in the north will do the same so that roaming will cover the entire island, the paper reported.
Anastasiades wants to strengthen hope given by UNSG in his report
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
President Nicos Anastasiades said on Friday that the UN Secretary-General leaves room for hope in his report.
During an event in Limassol, asked if UN envoy Jane Holl Lute had submitted any proposals that have been rejected, Anastasiades said he did not wish to comment. The Secretary-General’s report speaks for itself, so any comments do not contribute to the effort for a positive prospect, he said.
Anastasiades said Lute is a very efficient envoy who is trying to find common ground so that the talks can resume, which was and remains the aim of the GC side too.
Asked if the UN Secretary-General’s report
gave rise to hope, Anastasiades said there was still hope through the report
and that he wants to strengthen this hope.
This is why he undertakes some initiatives in a positive direction, in order to
create the necessary elements for a creative dialogue to restart, he said.
Anastasiades said that the insistence of the TCs on something unprecedented in
the whole world, to have a decisive role in the governance of the country,
through their positive vote, “does not contribute to that which we are striving
for”, calling it a dogmatic position.
He said he never dismissed the TC vote if this will be exercised to protect the interests of the TC community, and this is the true answer to the acceptance or not of political equality.
Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson to the UN
Secretary-General, expressed hope on Friday that the Security Council would discuss
Guterres’ report soon, the papers reported.
Phileleftheros reported that Nicosia
is expecting news from the UN; firstly on the outcome of the discussion of the
Guterres report by the Security Council and secondly, on whether Lute will be
able to secure a meeting between all stakeholders.
The efforts of Lute so far for a joint meeting have failed as Turkey rejected last Thursday the proposal for a meeting of all those who had participated in the Conference of Cyprus – the two leaders, the three guarantors and the EU – to reach an agreement on the Terms of Reference.
Therefore, the daily said, Nicosia is waiting to hear the latest developments from Lute and if she will be able to find a way to continue her efforts.
Nicosia believes that a good development would be for the UNSG to call everyone who was in Crans Montana to a meeting. Turkish negativity seems to leave little room for hope for such a meeting, however, Phileleftheros said. Nicosia, on the other hand, believes that Guterres’ report and the Security Council discussion will make it possible to make progress on the Cyprus issue.
The paper reported that the Turkish side chose at this stage not to make any official statements on the report but, according to information, it had tried to push for changes to the report. The report given to the Security Council members does not seem to have any changes compared to the initial text that was published this week, the daily said.
It is expected however, that Turkey will make moves toward Security Council members, Phileleftheros reported.
On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and TC ‘Foreign Minister’ Kudret Ozersay met in Ankara but refrained from saying anything about the report. Cavusoglu tweeted that they would continue their joint efforts for a solution model that would satisfy political equality and the security concerns of TCs.
Politis reported that Ankara and the occupied areas are in full coordination and that Turkey sees in Kudret Ozersay the man with whom it can consult both in relation to the Cyprus issue and on energy and issues concerning the Cypriot exclusive economic zone.
Ozersay, the daily reported, was once again in Turkey for a meeting with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in an effort to assess the Guterres report. Cavousoglu stressed after the meeting he would continue to work together with the TCs for solutions that would satisfy their concerns in relation to the issue of security.
While in Ankara, Ozersay had also a meeting with the general director of Turkish Petroleum (TPAO), Melih Bilgin.
KEY ACTORS
Anastasiades
>> Wants to strengthen the hope given in the UNSG’s report through some initiatives to pave the way for a creative dialogue to restart.
>> Lute is a very efficient envoy trying to find common ground for the talks to resume.
>> TC insistence on having a decisive role in the country’s governance through their positive vote is unprecedented and dogmatic and does not contribute to efforts for resumption of talks.
>> He accepts TC vote as long as it will be used to protect the interests of the TC community.
Cavusoglu (Turkey)
>> Turkey will continue efforts for a solution based on political equality and satisfying the security concerns of TCs.