in Cyprus Today – 10/2/2010

Lightning Strikes Twice – The flooding menace returned to north Cyprus on Monday after a heavy downpour which lasted most of the day and night in many areas. Thunderstorms dominated the landscape while in Otuken village in the Iskele district a twister caused damage to animal pens, the roof of a house, electricty lines and some trees, which were uprooted. The floods hit parts of the Girne area, including the Karakum road near Lemar supermarket.

400 axed – Civil service unions left divided as government staff hit by jobs shocker. Hundreds of workers have been sacked from their ‘temporary’ jobs in government as part of a cost cutting exercise. Some of the 400 or so staff to have been axed since Friday have been in post up to six years, according to Union chiefs.

Orams: PM Eroglu asks ‘so what went wrong?’ – PM Dervis Eroglu is setting up a legal team to look closely at how the Orams case was fought and lost. The announcement, as he returned from England on Monday, came just days after Parliament agreed to set up a committee to try and discover why the landmark property battle ended badly for the TRNC.

Crossing is set to open for June – The Yesilirmak border crossing could be opened by June a year after the two presidents agreed to the move.

Another Girne bypass finish date revealed – The link between Girne and Lefkosa road and Erener petrol station will be finished by the end of March – a month ahead of schedule.