Still reading yesterday’s Cyprus Mail, the only English language newspaper in the Republic of Cyprus, although part of the weekly Financial Mirror is also in English. Much of it available online but not all - lovely article on excellent Cypriot wines made from hundred year old vines did not appear in the online edition. And then there’s the pleasure of Sunday morning with coffee and the puzzles. Fortunately for me no competition as J doesn’t do them.
One advantage to internet news, though, in theory at least, is the up to the minute updates. So today we learn of coming power cuts:
“Open-ended scheduled power cuts will begin Wednesday following a Transmission System Operator (TSO) decision to safeguard the stability of the Cyprus grid during strike action. The blackouts will affect the districts of Nicosia, Larnaca and Famagusta from 5 pm to 9 pm as of Wednesday.
Power cuts will last between 30 minutes to an hour at a time on alternating days."
This may or may not mean actual power cuts, which in any case may or may not occur at the announced times- which are pretty vague anyway. Anyone who has spent time in the North (of Cyprus) is used to power cuts, and there too they may not be announced or occur at the announced times. And anyone who has lived in northern Ontario is also used to annual power cuts of several hours for planned maintenance - which are announced - as well as fairly frequent weather related power failures, which obviously are not. No mention of Cypriot power cuts taking into consideration the timing of World Cup games, though maybe that was the point of their taking place before nine.