Cannabis and cocaine haul in Larnaca
Two people aged 19 and 54 were arrested after being found with more than 4kg of drugs, including 2kg and 623g of cocaine, and 2kg with 733g of cannabis.
Two people aged 19 and 54 were arrested after being found with more than 4kg of drugs, including 2kg and 623g of cocaine, and 2kg with 733g of cannabis.
A 25-year-old man from Limassol was arrested for driving under the influence of narcotics and possession of cannabis. Police stopped his vehicle on the Limassol-Paphos motorway, where he discarded two bags containing cannabis before being apprehended. A drug test revealed cocaine in his system, and he later admitted to the offences. He was charged and released with a court summons pending.
Fact: A total of 105,401 packages, concerning 149 different pharmaceuticals, were spoiled during the hailstorm at the pharmaceutical services warehouse in Cyprus.
– Government officials estimated the damage to medicines in the flooded warehouse at €880,000.
Chocolate, specifically cacao, contains compounds that can have medicinal effects on the body, such as improving heart health and mood. Consuming dark chocolate with high cocoa solid content may provide health benefits, but it is important to be cautious with chocolate consumption in pets and for individuals prone to kidney stones.
Large quantities of medication, potentially worth millions of euros, were destroyed in a Health Ministry storage facility in Nicosia due to flooding caused by extreme rainfall and hailstorm. The incident occurred on Green Monday, March 18, prompting the removal of thousands more packages to prevent further damage. The health ministry is assessing the extent of the damages, with concerns over possible shortages for patients. Health Minister Michalis Damianou denied any attempt to conceal the incident and attributed it to unpredictable weather, describing it as an “act of God.” An ad hoc committee of pharmacologists has been established to address the damages and take inventory of the affected medicines. The incident is reminiscent of a previous flooding at the Finance Ministry’s basement that knocked out government servers and websites for several days.
President Biden has proposed tax hikes targeting corporations and wealthy Americans to reduce the national debt. The Tax Foundation found that these tax increases could reduce economic output by 2.2% in the long run, slash wages by 1.6%, and kill about 788,000 full-time equivalent jobs. Biden’s proposal includes a 25% minimum tax rate on households worth more than 0 million, raising the capital gains tax rate, quadrupling the corporate stock buyback tax to 4%, raising the corporate tax rate to 28%, increasing the Medicare tax paid by wealthy Americans, implementing a global minimum tax on multinational corporations, and closing the carried interest loophole used by private equity and hedge fund managers. The tax increases would reduce the federal deficit by about trillion and help fund new programs like a monthly tax credit for homeowners, child care subsidies, and lower prescription drug costs. The corporate income tax proposal is considered the most harmful to economic growth, with higher taxes on corporations alone potentially reducing GDP by 0.9%, wages by 0.8%, and full-time equivalent jobs by 192,000. The proposals are unlikely to gain support in Congress, especially from Republicans who control the House.
Fact: Large quantities of medicines were destroyed due to water leakage into medical storage facilities of the health ministry through a damaged roof.
Health Minister Michael Damianos met with a delegation from the Pancyprian Medical Association to discuss key healthcare issues, including the need for comprehensive planning for the national health scheme Gesy, addressing the strengthening of the legislative framework, tackling abuses, covering non-prescription drugs for low-income pensioners, improving public hospitals, and regulating working conditions for employees of the Cyprus Oncology Centre.
Fact: Police in Limassol handed out hundreds of fines over the bank holiday weekend, including 20 fines for drink driving and 134 fines for other traffic violations.