Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 04-11-26

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus Health Minister found guilty

[02] Cyprus President accepts resignation of Health Minister

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[04] Sweden and Finland open embassies in Nicosia

[05] Cyprus President: Court ruling on Health Minister to be respected

[06] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

[07] Cypriot President to hold state visit to Slovakia

[08] Court ruling on Health Minister

[01] Cyprus Health Minister found guilty

1250:CYPPRESS:01

Cyprus Health Minister found guilty

Nicosia, Nov 26 (CNA) -- Cyprus Minister of Health Constantina Akkelidou was found guilty Friday by Nicosia District Court to charges of attempting to interfere with the course of justice, by sending a letter to a district court judge in a drugs case.

[02] Cyprus President accepts resignation of Health Minister

1430:CYPPRESS:02

Cyprus President accepts resignation of Health Minister

Nicosia, Nov 26 (CNA) -- Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos accepted today the resignation of Health Minister Constantina Akkelidou, following a Court ruling that found her guilty of interfering with the course of justice.

Akkelidou handed in her resignation shortly after Nicosia District Court said a letter she wrote to a judge, trying a drugs case, constituted interference with the course of justice.

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1440:CYPPRESS:03

Cyprus Stock Exchange

Nicosia, Nov 26 (CNA) - The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share
Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:

INDICES BASE VALUES: FTSEMed=5000, OTHERS=1000

TRADED VALUE                       509.757,83

GSE GENERAL INDEX                       71,51     0,07    434.458,82
FTSE/CySE 20                           331,50    -0,08    210.703,59
MAIN MARKET INDEX                      992,37    -0,08    215.322,35
PARALLEL MARKET INDEX                  886,72    -0,85     14.296,92
INVESTMENT COMPANIES MARKET INDEX      934,95     0,23     13.912,36
MAIN AND PARALLEL MARKETS INDEX        988,28    -0,10    229.619,27
BANKS INDEX                            998,74    -0,09     81.134,14
HOTELS INDEX                           909,88    -0,64      1.892,00
ALTERNATIVE MARKET INDEX               850,66    -0,08    200.070,23
FTSE Med (25/11/2004)                6.475,74     1,70

* The second column presents the percentage variation of the indices

[04] Sweden and Finland open embassies in Nicosia

1445:CYPPRESS:04

Sweden and Finland open embassies in Nicosia

Nicosia, Nov 26 (CNA) -- Sweden and Finland inaugurated today their embassies in Nicosia.

State Secretaries of the Swedish and Finnish Foreign Ministries, Hans Dahlgren and Arto Mansala, underlined the excellent bilateral relations that exist between Cyprus and their countries and reassured that their diplomatic missions will have a close cooperation with the Cyprus government, especially within the framework the European Union institutions.

[05] Cyprus President: Court ruling on Health Minister to be respected

1500:CYPPRESS:05

Cyprus President: Court ruling on Health Minister to be respected

Nicosia, Nov 26 (CNA) -- Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos said judgments issued by a Court of Law are always respected and thanked his Health Minister Constantina Akkelidou, who had handed in her resignation, for her hard work and the high moral standards she maintains.

President Papadopoulos also said that he respected Akkelidou, who resigned following a Court decision that found her guilty of interfering with the course of justice, as a human being and a politician.

''I have accepted the resignation of Health Minister Constantina Akkelidou. Irrespective of the various views and assessments that each of us can and is entitled to make in a democratic and law-abiding society and within the rule of law, the decisions of the Courts are always respected,'' the President said, in a written statement.

''I would like to thank the friend and collaborator Constantina Akkelidou in public as well for our impeccable cooperation, the acknowledged moral standards she adheres to, the integrity of her character, her hard working zeal and selflessness as well as the work she has done as Health Minister, which I consider substantive and creative,'' the statement added.

Concluding, he expressed once more his ''feelings of genuine appreciation, love and respect to the individual and the politician Constantina Akkelidou.''

Announcing the submission of her resignation to the press, after a meeting with Papadopoulos, Akkelidou said that ''the Court had ruled the procedure I had followed to be erroneous, something which I had admitted to right from the start.''

''The Court ruling, which I fully respect, does not annul my good intentions nor does it annul the substance of the issue, which is that there is a need to increase awareness in all of us about drug combating and the reentry into society of rehabilitated persons.''

Akkelidou, who is also president of the anti-drug association, thanked President Papadopoulos for the trust he had shown in her and thanked her colleagues for the cooperation they have enjoyed since her appointment in March 2003.

''I would also like to thank AKEL (the party she comes from and a government coalition partner) for proposing me for a Cabinet post,'' she said.

Akkelidou said while at the ministry various decisions have been taken on a wide-range of issues and moves have been made to further improve state medical care.

''I am certain that the results of these decisions will become apparent very soon,'' she concluded.

Akkelidou handed in her resignation shortly after Nicosia District Court said a letter she had written to a judge, trying a drugs case, constituted interference with the course of justice.

Nicosia District Court judge Nikolaos Sandis said the prosecution had proved ''beyond any reasonable doubt'' that the Health Minister was guilty as charged.

The Court will pass sentence on Monday. The offence committed could carry a three-year jail sentence, a fine or both, or a suspended jail sentence.

[06] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

1505:CYPPRESS:06

Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

Nicosia, Nov 26 (CNA) - Today's weather and temperatures for Cyprus,
according to the Meteorological Service at Larnaca International
Airport are:

Temperatures (degrees Celcius)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Station             Maximum       Minimum          Weather
(At 1200 UTC)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Nicosia               10             4              FAIR
Larnaca               16             6              FAIR
Limassol              13             9              FAIR
Paphos                17            10              FAIR

[07] Cypriot President to hold state visit to Slovakia

1700:CYPPRESS:07

Cypriot President to hold state visit to Slovakia

Nicosia, Nov 26 (CNA) - Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos, heading a delegation, will be holding a state visit to Slovakia from November 28 to 30.

[08] Court ruling on Health Minister

1735:CYPPRESS:08

Court ruling on Health Minister

Nicosia, Nov 26 (CNA) - The Nicosia District Court today found Minister of Health Constantina Akkelidou guilty of interfering with the course of justice. Shortly after the ruling was announced, Akkelidou handed in her resignation, which Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos accepted.

Akkelidou was accused of acting in a way destined to influence or that could influence court proceedings, namely she has sent a letter to Judge Tereza Karakanna, of the Larnaca District Court, in which she presented the judge with facts and views regarding a drugs-related case the judge was trying.

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