THE ECONOMIC crisis could “open up” opportunities to end the frozen conflict on the island, said US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday, adding that hydrocarbon prospects in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) could be a part of that solution.   Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, in Washington to meet his American counterpart, countered that the three issues- economic crisis, gas and the Cyprus problem- were separate issues that could, however, be developed in parallel. ... 13 comments

 ON AUGUST 14, 2005, 33 children were orphaned overnight, their lives irrevocably changed.These children are the living victims of the fateful Helios Airways crash that killed all 121 passengers onboard the Boeing 737 aircraft, including their parents and, in many cases, their siblings. On March 16, 2013, the majority of these same children became victims once again. This time, instead of being robbed of their parents, they stand to lose the compensation awarded to them following their parents’ death as part of the brutal haircut on bank deposits... 32 comments

 THE HEALTH ministry has put one psychologist on-call for its round-the-clock hotline for people suffering from depression due to the financial crisis until the effects of the crisis become more apparent.  “It is a known fact that when a crisis situation hits the public will go through psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. Such cases may lead to medical problems if not treated. This is why people affected by the crisis who ask for an appointment with the psychological services are prioritised on the waiting list,” senior clinical psychologist Pantelis Panteli said.Immediate appointment services began on April 4. A person, couple, family or group can be directly seen by an official without having to register on a waiting list... 3 comments

 Many people have stated that this is the worst economic crisis the Republic of Cyprus has faced. This is absolute nonsense. Likewise, there can be no comparison between the enormous economic and social problems that we were able to tackle after the Turkish invasion of 1974 and now.The main differences in 1974 was that Cyprus was united in dealing with the situation. There was excellent cooperation between government, trade unions and business. Everyone pulled together, the planning mechanism was intact and Cyprus had considerable freedom of movement. The Cyprus pound was strong and maintained its strength, and innovative policies were introduced to get the economy going... 3 comments

 THE WORSENING economic crisis will set women’s rights issues back years as unemployment and poverty grow, women’s groups said yesterday.At a seminar in Nicosia yesterday on the impact of the crisis on womenthe speaker stressed how funding cuts would also place women’s issues on the back burner after years of struggling to get where they are today.Antigoni Papadopoulou, a member of the European Parliament,  who spoke at the seminar said women were the victims of a silent crisis and would suffer twice as much because their struggle for equality would be compromised.“All those years of fighting for women’s rights in Cyprus will come to no avail now as we will have to start from the beginning,” she said... 7 comments

ALTHOUGH consumer rights in Cyprus are not fully protected in practice, some people are learning from the ongoing economic crisis and becoming more savvy.On World Consumer Rights Day yesterday, George Varnavas, a member of EDEK, asked the new government to support the proposal for a commissioner for consumers to be appointed. During a press conference Varnavas said: “This year’s World Consumer Day is marked by the fact that the Cypriot consumer is currently living in very hard times. Unemployment and rises in petrol prices, leading to an increase in the prices of other essential products, and the reduction of purchasing power due to decreases in income, places the Cypriot consumer in a very harsh position... 3 comments

CALLS for help to the support and counselling line 1410 which is run by the Youth Board spiralled in 2012 as the effects of the economic crisis hit home, a new report shows. “The line received 1000 calls in 2012 in comparison to 716 in 2011 and 453 in 2010,” said Stelios Papapetrou, the coordinator of the support line. “We have seen an increase in calls about abuse, drugs and people considering suicide. There was also an increase in calls relating to clinical cases such as, child neglect and sexual abuse,” he said... Read on