BORN IN Nicosia in September 1968 Andis Hadjicostis was the younger of two sons of Costas and Toulla Hadjicostis.

He studied economics and political science at the University of Southampton and worked as a business consultant with German firm Kienbaum Consulting an economic analyst for the European Commission.

He returned to Cyprus in 1995 to join the DIAS Group and Sigma as the head of marketing.

In 2001 he took the reins of the group, which includes over 25 publications, radio, and television.

He was also the managing director of IMH, a company offering services that include organising conferences, congresses and seminars, commercial exhibitions, business media and human capital consulting and training.

THE SECOND day of intensive talks on the Cyprus issue between President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat were “very open and very frank about the issues of governance and power-sharing”, UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer said yesterday.

Speaking after the eight-hour session, Downer said that the United Nations “are happy with the way the two leaders are conducting the negotiations. We think it is appropriate. There are, obviously, challenging issues. But we are happy with the way the negotiations have been proceeding over the last couple of days.”

LAWYERS ARE refusing to represent members of the public who wish to take civil action against other lawyers, the House Human Rights Committee heard yesterday.

According to EDEK deputy Georgios Varnavas, who tabled the issue for discussion, representatives of the Cyprus Bar Association confirmed to the committee that there were incidents of lawyers refusing to take on other lawyers in court.

Varnavas argued that it was unthinkable for a country that tries to defend human rights to have citizens going unrepresented when the defendant is a lawyer.

WORK IS being carried out in the ancient harbour of Paphos without the relevant permissions from local authorities according to councillor Polis Polydorou.

The claim has been rejected by the Ports Authority however.

A meeting of the town planning and administration committee in Paphos on Monday resulted in a decision to formally request that the work stop until conclusive studies have been carried out.

The Ports Authority has created a 400 square-metre structure in the sea, which sits between the concrete and wooden piers.

According to Polydorou, the Ports Authority plans to rent out the newly created space to local to cafιs and restaurants as a seating area complete with umbrellas.

MONDAY night’s murder of the Dias Group’s CEO Andis Hadjicostis sent shock waves across Cyprus. This was not an underworld hit that people take in their stride, shrugging their shoulders and dismissing as the settling of scores between criminals. Nobody could display this type of indifference to Monday night’s murder as it was not what we have become accustomed to.

Hadjicostis, the chief executive of the biggest media group in Cyprus, was gunned down outside his house, in a residential area in the centre of town, as he stepped out of his car at 8.45 pm. The murderer then ran to where an accomplice was waiting for him on a motorbike and fled the scene. To commit the crime, at such a time, in a centrally-located neighbourhood, was an indication of the assassin’s audacity.

THE FAMILY of Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday denied reports that they had enlisted celebrity psychic, Uri Geller, in their hunt for the late President’s remains.

Nicholas Papadopoulos said “I have not read the reports, but I have been told about them and they are not true. They have no basis in reality.”

Geller, who was in Kefalonia yesterday, declined to comment.

However, on Friday Geller told Sigma TV that he would happily help with the investigation into the theft of the body if he was asked to do so. He has in the past worked for the CIA and the FBI on criminal cases.