President’s ultimatum to clubs after weekend of soccer violence
PRESIDENT Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday delivered an ultimatum to Cypriot football clubs to rein in their supporters or see state aid axed.
The warning came after a weekend of appalling violence between fans of rival Limassol sides Apollon and AEL, after Apollon clinched the title on Saturday.
THE RESULTS of a recent European study into drivers’ attitudes have yet again brought Cyprus into the spotlight, as one of the worst EU countries when it comes to abiding by traffic laws.
A SERIES of events celebrating the annual World Red Cross Red Crescent Day were yesterday held across the island.
In Nicosia, President Tassos Papadopoulos was at the Cyprus Red Cross Society where he donated £4,000 to the organisation.
AFTER weeks of wrangling over the more mundane issues – cost of living, the economy, taxation, and corruption in football – the political compass yesterday swung back to the 2004 UN blueprint for a settlement.
It all began over the weekend when President Tassos Papadopoulos declared that the denunciation of the Annan plan was at the crux of the upcoming legislative elections.
PLANS by a Turkish travel agent to bring tourists from Turkey to the south of the island for the first time since 1974 have been shelved, reports from the north said yesterday.
It was revealed last week that Turkish tourists were being offered four and seven-night package deals for holidays in the government-controlled areas, in co-operation with a Greek Cypriot travel agency.
THE high-profile Predrag Djordjevic v Popular Bank trial was adjourned yesterday after a key witness was unable to show up in court.
THE LOUIS cruise ship Calypso, which sustained a fire in the engine room during a voyage in the English Channel at the weekend, arrived safely in Southampton on Saturday night, the company said yesterday.
EUROPE DAY and the second anniversary of the accession of Cyprus to the European Union are to be celebrated today in a series of special events.
The Union of Cyprus Municipalities, the European Commission Representation and the European Parliament Information Office in Cyprus are supporting and participating in the events being organised by 15 Municipalities.
CYPRIOTS have spent £222.7 million on their credit and debit cards in the first four months of the year.
According to the latest statistics from credit card management company JCC Payment Systems, the figures from January to April 2006 are up by 14 per cent compared to the same period last year. They amount to just over 5.5 million transactions, an increase of 12 per cent.
THE GOVERNMENT has decided to get tough with football clubs after Sunday evening’s horrific violence in the centre of Limassol in which 24 people were injured and property was damaged.
It’s high time the clubs are forced to take some responsibility by being made to suffer a financial cost for the despicable behaviour of some their fans, which they refuse to do anything about.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
