retirement

Sainz leads Ferrari 1-2 in Australia after Verstappen retires

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Sainz leads Ferrari 1-2 in Australia after Verstappen retires

Carlos Sainz won the Australian Grand Prix, marking a significant comeback two weeks after undergoing appendicitis surgery. This victory occurred as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen experienced his first retirement in two years due to a brake problem. Sainz, who had missed the second race of the season in Saudi Arabia due to his surgery, managed to secure the win ahead of his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, with a virtual safety car situation in the final lap aiding his victory. Lando Norris of McLaren finished third, while his teammate Oscar Piastri came in fourth. Norris now holds the record for the most podiums (14) without a win in Formula 1. Leclerc achieved the fastest lap, contributing to Ferrari’s points tally, bringing them within four points of Red Bull in the constructors’ championship. Verstappen leads the drivers’ championship with 51 points, followed by Leclerc with 47 points. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez is in third place, one point behind Leclerc, and Sainz is fourth, 11 points behind Verstappen. This race marked Verstappen’s first DNF since the same event in 2022, ending his streak of nine consecutive race wins. Lewis Hamilton retired early due to a power unit problem, and George Russell also retired after crashing, which was influenced by a sudden slow down by Fernando Alonso. Alonso received a 20-second penalty and three penalty points for his role in the incident, which demoted him to eighth place. This adjustment promoted Lance Stroll to sixth and Yuki Tsunoda to seventh. Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen finished in ninth and tenth places, respectively. Alex Albon, driving in place of his teammate Logan Sargeant, finished 11th.

Secretarial allowances row could be referred to anti-corruption authority

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Secretarial allowances row could be referred to anti-corruption authority

Auditor-General Odysseas Michaelides criticized the finance minister’s stance on secretarial allowances as “unacceptable” and threatened to refer the case to the anti-corruption authority if overpayments continue. The controversy started when it was discovered that former presidents and House speakers were receiving state funds for secretaries after retirement, legally, but were paying the secretaries less than the allocated amount and keeping the difference. An audit named former presidents George Vassiliou and Nicos Anastasiades, and former House speakers Yiannakis Omirou, Marios Garoyian, and Demetris Syllouris as allegedly engaging in this practice. Finance Minister Makis Keravnos stated that these former officials did not have to return the money. Michaelides announced a new probe into the matter scheduled for May 2.

Minister to deal , ‘aggressively’ with illegal work

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Minister to deal , ‘aggressively’ with illegal work

Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou of Cyprus announced plans to address illegal employment through increased workplace inspections and an electronic census of workers. The government aims to improve the categorization of self-employed individuals for social insurance, enhance work conditions, align with EU directives on minimum wages, and support working parents with state benefits and timely maternity pay. Efforts will also focus on raising local employment rates, attracting workers from the EU and EEA, and signing agreements with third countries for medium and low-skilled workers. Panayiotou highlighted past achievements, including raising the minimum wage, improving the cost-of-living allowance, ensuring timely pension and unemployment benefit payments, and extending maternity leave for new mothers.

Books and music in Paphos

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Books and music in Paphos

On March 11, Technopolis 20 in Paphos will host two events. The first event is a book presentation by June Megennis, titled “Tears and Symphony – a Musical Journey,” starting at 6pm. The book discusses Megennis’ experiences within major European operatic and musical organizations from 1964 to 2006, including the London Opera Centre, the Royal Opera House, and the Chamber Orchestra Europe. The second event is a concert by the Fluboe Trio, consisting of Klaus Storm, Florian Rabe, and Agnes Tang, at 8pm. They will perform pieces by Telemann, Händel, Scarlatti, Rameau, and Kleinknecht.

Pensions now paid within 30 days of retirement

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Pensions now paid within 30 days of retirement

The labour ministry of Cyprus announced the completion of measures to ensure retirees receive their first pension payment within 30 days of retirement. Since the government’s initiative in September, over 6,000 new pensioners have started receiving their payments within this timeframe. This policy was part of President Nikos Christodoulides’ “State of the Republic” speech. Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou stated that this timely payment is a sign of appreciation towards workers and is part of the government’s “human-centred” approach that aims to improve the lives of citizens.