Cyprus Mail www.cyprus-mail.com
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
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CYPRUS
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Milk shortage expected to last another month
Murray makes smooth progress with Raonic win 32
Scientologists auditioned wives for Cruise 12
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Seeking nine ‘most wanted’ in Cyprus Crimestoppers to launch Operation Zygos with UK and Cypriot authorities
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‘MOST wanted’ list of nine UK criminals suspected of offences including rape and drug dealing who are thought to be hiding in Cyprus is due to be launched today. Crimestoppers has compiled the list working with officers from the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and Cypriot authorities. Crimestoppers is an independent charity helping to find criminals and help solve crimes in the UK since 1988. They have an anonymous 24/7 phone number where people can call to pass on information; alternatively they can send information anonymously through the website. One of the men on the newly-drawn-up Cyprus list is Martin Evans, 50, from Swansea, who is wanted for drug dealing, theft and fraudulent trading. He ran a drug-dealing gang between 1999 and 2001, smuggling the drugs into Britain and laundering the proceeds by converting cash into foreign currencies and moving it to the Netherlands, where it was used to buy more drugs. Evans is also wanted for stealing thousands of pounds of investments made to a company he ran called Ostrich Centre Limited in 1995. He fled after being released from prison on licence in 2011. He has used the aliases Martin Roydon Evans, Martin Royden Evans, Martin Wayne Evans, Anthony Hall and Paul Kelly. He has “ME” tattooed on his right arm. Evans is 5ft 11ins to 6ft tall, stocky, has short brown hair
that is going grey, and blue eyes. Details of the remaining eight suspects are due to be announced today. In the UK, Crimestoppers founder Lord Ashcroft said: “My hope is that we shall see more success in bringing some of the UK’s most wanted fugitives to justice. “While these suspected criminals will see Cyprus as a safe place to evade law enforcement, my belief is that with the help of the local public and expatriate community these individuals will not be able to escape justice for much longer.” The scheme, called Operation Zygos, targets criminals who could be in the Republic or the breakaway Turkish-controlled north. Anyone with information is encouraged to come forward regardless of which part of the island the suspect is in. Soca deputy director Martin Molloy said: “Fugitives hiding overseas typically remain part of the criminal world, continuing to bring harm to communities locally and beyond. “Soca and our partners are determined to ensure life on the run is intolerable for them and that they are returned to face justice in the UK.” People with information calling from Cyprus can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 8000 55 11, or via www.crimestoppers. org.cy. Those calling from the UK can use 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk. org. Crimestoppers has run a similar scheme in Spain, where Operation Captura, launched in October 2006, led to 49 out of 65 suspects being arrested. (PA)
Cutouts of US President Barack Obama, US first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden at a vender’s booth at the Democratic National Convention (AFP) DEMOCRATS TO MAKE THEIR CASE AS CONVENTION OPENS PAGE 9
Organic food no more nutritious than non-organic ORGANIC produce and meat typically isn’t any better for you than conventional food when it comes to vitamin and nutrient content, although it does generally reduce exposure to pesticides and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a US study. “People choose to buy organic foods for many different reasons. One of them is perceived health benefits,” said Crystal Smith-Spangler, who led a team of researchers from Stanford University and the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care. “Our patients, our families ask, ‘Well, are there health reasons to choose organic food in terms of nutritional content or human health outcomes?’” She and her colleagues reviewed more than 200 studies that compared either the health of people who ate organic or
conventional foods or, more commonly, nutrient and contaminant levels in the foods themselves. The foods included organic and nonorganic fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, poultry eggs and milk. According to US Department of Agriculture standards, organic farms have to avoid the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics. Organic livestock must also have access to pastures during grazing season. Many of the studies used, though, didn’t specify their standards for what constituted “organic” food, which can cost as much as twice what conventional food costs, the researchers wrote in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Smith-Spangler and her colleagues found there was no difference in the amount of vitamins in plant or animal
products produced organically and conventionally - and the only nutrient difference was slightly more phosphorous in the organic products. Organic milk and chicken may also contain more omega-3 fatty acids, but that was based on only a few studies. More than one third of conventional produce had detectable pesticide residues, compared with seven per cent of organic produce samples. Organic pork and chicken were 33 per cent less likely to carry bacteria resistant to three or more antibiotics than conventionally produced meat. Smith-Spangler said it was uncommon for either organic or conventional foods to exceed the allowable limits for pesticides, so it was not clear whether a difference in residues would have an effect on health.